Dreams Change
by MaggyWood
Summary: This is a reworking of the time Jason stayed at Elizabeth's studio starting in Feb 2001.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Elizabeth stood on the docks looking out to the water. The cold January wind caused a shiver to run down her back, but she didn't really notice. She was lost in thought. So much had happened in the last two years, she hadn't really had time to herself. She needed to think. Reflect.

As she looked back, she couldn't believe everything that she had been though since she moved to Port Charles. She had been raped. At the time she hadn't thought she had been strong enough to survive it. But Lucky had been there to pick her up and give her the strength to keep living. Lucky had saved her and when she fell in love with him it had felt so right. They had planned to move to New York, where she was to be a painter and him a musician. They would be happy, together and in love. Then Lucky died and her world fell apart again. She hadn't thought she would ever get past his death. But she did. She had rebuilt her life and was slowly looking to the future when Lucky returned.

It had been the happiest moment of her like. Her prayers had been answered. Lucky had been kidnapped and held against his will for over a year. At first, she and everyone else thought they would get back together. But Lucky had pushed her away and had wanted her to be with Nicholas, his brother. Elizabeth had been devastated. Now, she knew it was all an act to stop Helena, but at the time, it had hurt her more than his fake death had. Lucky had pretended to be under Helena's control so that she would release him and with the help of Luke and Nicholas, Helena had been killed. Through all of it, she knew they were meant to be together. He was her miracle. Their love was a once in a lifetime thing. True love.

Now finally, they were together. Just like they had planned long ago. So why wasn't she happy. She looked up to her studio window. Lucky thought she was working on an art assignment for her abstract art class. She hadn't really lied. She did have that assignment. She just couldn't seem to do it. She hadn't been able to paint for sometime. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Every day she stared at the blank canvas. Every day she waited for inspiration, waited for some creative spark. But it never came. She couldn't understand why when her life with Lucky was finally getting back to where it was before he was taken, her painting was going off track.

She was beginning to think that her professor from two years ago was right. She didn't have what it takes to be an artist. Maybe she should give it up. Maybe she should put away her silly dream of being a painter and find something else like Lucky had. Before the fire, Lucky had dreams of playing the guitar. Since he's been back he hardly plaid anymore. Now he wanted to be a photographer. She had been so happy when he had picked up a camera. After Helena was killed, he had become so depressed. Like he had no purpose. But now, he was excited about taking pictures and working for his mother's cosmetics company. He was slowly becoming a successful photographer, while she was lost.

Maybe she should give in and join Lucky at Deception. Laura had a crazy idea of her, Elizabeth, becoming a model. At first, she had laughed at the idea. She had thought they were joking. But Laura had been serious. Was still serious. Laura wanted her to be the new Face of Deception. Lucky loved the idea. They would be together, just like they had planned only this time, she as a model and he as the photographer. She had gone along to a test shoot just to make them happy. She knew they would eventually see that she wasn't cut out to be a model. She didn't have what it takes. Then everything would get back to normal and she could concentrate on her painting.

She couldn't remember the last time she had painted something. Instantly _The Wind_ came to mind. It hadn't been the last thing she painted but it was still the best thing she'd done. It was the last time she had felt passionate about painting. Being on the back of Jason's motorcycle had given her so much inspiration; she hadn't been able to put her brush down. It was like she had been possessed. Nothing since had given her that feeling.

Jason. Every once in a while, something would happen and she would think of Jason. A man wearing a leather jacket, the sound of motorcycle, when she heard _Oh Come All Ye Faithful._ She missed him. He had been her friend when she needed it the most. He had shown her that she was strong enough to handle any situation that came her way. He had given her a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. He never told her how to feel. He just listened and understood. If he were here right now she would probably be at his door telling him her problems. And she knew he would listen. He would never turn her away. But he wasn't coming back. When he left after everything with Emily had been taken care of, to her it seemed permanent. Carly, his ex-girlfriend had married Sonny, his boss. She still didn't know everything that had gone on but she knew Jason was the one that had lost. He lost Carly and he lost Michael, his son. She didn't think he was ever going to get past that. It was a shame. Jason was the one person she felt deserved to be happy.

If Jason were here, he would tell her she had to be honest with Lucky. Tell him the truth. She didn't want to be a model. But she couldn't. She didn't want to hurt Lucky. He was so excited about them working together, she didn't want to let him down. She knew Jason would understand.

Checking her watch, she raced up the stairs towards her studio. Lucky would be at her studio any minute. They were going to discuss the proofs he had developed of her test shots. She knew he was going to tell her they weren't good. Then this whole model issue would be over.

She opened the door and hurried inside. She needed the place to look like she had been working.

"Elizabeth."

She turned shocked at hearing a voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Jason?" she asked not quite believing he was standing in her studio. She crossed the studio and gave him a hug.

"It's good to see you," he replied hugging her back. He hadn't known what her reaction was going to be. Him just showing up without any warning.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" She pulled away.

"It's complicated. I still have a key. Do you want it back?"

"What? No, no it's yours. I wanted you to have it." She looked at him trying to see what he wasn't telling her. "You're in trouble?"

"No. Not yet, anyway," he said a little unsure. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. He shouldn't get her involved in his business.

"Something for Sonny?" she was worried. She knew his life was dangerous. She didn't want anything to happen to him.

"You know, I can't tell you now. Later, maybe."

"Right, of course. Where are you staying?"

This was it. He could tell her a safe house and then she wouldn't be involved, he thought. But it was a good plan. She won't get hurt. I'll make sure of it. "Here. If it's okay. I need to keep out of sight for a while."

_Something going on_, she thought. "Of course. You know I'll help you out with anything."

"Thank you, I'll try not to get in …" Jason stopped and turned at the knocking on the door.

"That's Lucky," she said moving towards the door. Jason stopped her just as she reached for the knob. He pulled her away from the door.

"He can't know I'm here," he said quietly. "No one can know I'm in Port Charles."

"You know he wouldn't say anything," she whispered.

"Please, I really need your help." Maybe she'll change her mind, he thought.

He looked in her eyes trying to convey the importance of this. The plan wouldn't work if people knew he was in Port Charles.

"Elizabeth?" Lucky asked as he knocked again.

It took only a second for Elizabeth to make up her mind. "I'm coming. Just a second," she yelled to Lucky then quietly, "Okay, I won't tell him." She picked up her jacket and purse. She saw the relief in his eyes before she walked to the door and turned off the light. She would keep Jason's secret from Lucky. It was just another in what was becoming a long list things she couldn't tell Lucky.

"Hey," she said as she opened the studio door. She walked into the hall not giving Lucky a chance to see inside.

"Didn't you hear me knocking the first time?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I was just lost in another world working on my assignment."

"It's okay," he replied pulling her close to kiss her.

She returned the kiss quickly, and began walking to the stairway. "Let's go to Kelly's."

The voices began to fade as they walked toward to stairway. When he couldn't hear them anymore, Jason moved to the couch. He knew Elizabeth was back with Lucky, but hearing them together just made it real. He knew it was what she had always wanted. Always dreamed about. He was glad that her dream had come true. But something wasn't right. While he had waited for her, he glanced out the window and saw her standing on the pier. She had looked lost and alone. When it looked like she wasn't going to move, he had wanted to go down and ask her if she was all right. But he couldn't. He couldn't risk being seen.

There was a traitor in the organization and he needed to find out who it was. Maybe more than one. The studio was a perfect hideout. No one would suspect he was there and it was close to the coffee warehouse. He thought again of Elizabeth. He wanted to protect her. That was why he had left a year ago. After a bomb had been placed in her studio to kill him, he knew she would always be in danger if she were around him. As much as he didn't want their friendship to end, he knew it was the right thing to do.

But now he was involving her in his business. When he had first thought of the studio, he had dismissed it. He wouldn't put Elizabeth's life in danger again. But no other place seemed right. Her studio felt natural. Maybe it was because he had stayed here while he was shot. He felt comfortable here. Something that wasn't easy for him. He never called anything place he stayed home, except for the gatehouse when he had Michael. Whenever he thought of the studio, he thought of it as home. Looking out the window, he saw Elizabeth and Lucky crossing the pier. He would make sure that nothing happened to her or her studio.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Elizabeth and Lucky walked quietly to Kelly's. She was worried about Jason. She hoped he wasn't in real trouble. The image if him bleeding in the snow came to her. Even though she hadn't seen him for months, she knew he was alive. She didn't know how she would feel if he died. He was her friend and she didn't want him to get hurt. She wondered if it, whatever it was, had anything to do with Sorel. She knew Sorel's trial was about beginning soon. Maybe Jason was here to make sure Sorel didn't get off. She knew Emily was worried. Especially about Zander. He was going to testify against Sorel and the murder of the police officer. If Sorel was acquitted then Zander's life would be over. Sorel would kill him for sure. Maybe Jason was here to make sure that didn't happen. She knew Jason didn't like Zander but for he would do anything for Emily. And if that meant protecting her boyfriend Jason would do it.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth?"

She looked up to see Lucky staring at her. They were in Kelly's and she was just standing by the doorway. "I'm sorry," she said as she continued into the restaurant and sat at an empty table. "I was just thinking of Emily and Zander."

Lucky sat down in the chair opposite her. "Oh, really? Because I know today at the photo shoot, it was a little hard on you."

_Okay here it comes_, she thought. He was going to tell her he changed his mind about her being a model. She felt relieved.

"But I got to tell you, you were wonderful," he said smiling.

"What?" she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, my mother is so excited. She loved the pictures. She wants to set up some studio time to do more professional shots and discuss her ideas for the campaign," he said oblivious to her dismay. "She wants you to come by and talk about a contract. This is going to be great."

"At least one of us thinks so," Elizabeth muttered quietly. She couldn't believe it. She was so sure the test shots were going to convince Lucky and Laura that she wasn't right for the job. Now what was she going to do.

"Do I have to convince you how beautiful you are," he asked teasingly. He leaned across the table and kissed her on the lips.

"Wow, I'm amazed because that convinced me," she replied. She couldn't let lucky know she wasn't happy about this new development.

"Good. Because from what I saw today, you're going to be a big star." He smiled as he looked up at Penny, the waitress on today, and ordered a coffee for him and a hot chocolate for her.

"You know what? I would rather just forget about this whole photo shoot thing," she said as Penny walked away.

"Oh really? I could handle that. Actually, I'd like to spend the rest of the night just making love to you anyway."

"Spending the night together sounds wonderful, but…" she stopped as Penny returned with their drinks. "But I really need to go back to my studio and finish my assignment."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just the painting isn't going well and it's due soon." The lie rolled easily off her tongue. She had been lying to him for so long about her painting she couldn't remember when was the last time she told him the truth.

"All right, if that's what you want, you know, paint. I'll just sit and watch."

Getting up from the table she replied, "Oh well, that will distract me and that kind of defeats the purpose."

"Okay, fine. But paint fast. I'll be waiting here for you. And, um, you know just use your key." He moved to take her in his arms and kiss her again. "I love you."

"I will. I love you, too. Bye." She hurried out the door without a backward glance.

Lucky continued to look at Kelly's entrance. He knew Elizabeth was worried about the Face of Deception thing. She had doubts that it would be a success. She didn't want to let him down. But he knew she was perfect. He just had to show her great this was going to be. The two of them working together and living together was everything he had dreamed about when he was being held. He had dreamed about the life they were going to have and he knew this was the beginning of that dream. He just needed Elizabeth to see that too.

"It's just me," Elizabeth said as she opened her studio door. She didn't want Jason to worry about Lucky finding him. She saw him standing by the window.

"I know. I saw you come up from the pier." He looked back to her. "Thank you for not letting him know I'm here."

Taking off her coat, she walked up to him. "Jason, what are you doing here?"

He knew she would have questions, he just hoped she liked his answers. "I'm here for business. I can't tell you more than that. But no one except you can know that I'm here." He moved away from the window and sat on the couch.

"Not even Sonny?"

"Sonny knows. But it's a little complicated. We need to double-check security issues."

She moved to sit on the couch's armrest. "You think there's someone you can't trust. A traitor?"

He knew she was smart. "We just need to be sure," he said reassuringly. He didn't want her to worry. He wasn't going to put her in any danger. He would find the traitor and then leave.

"So Sonny's men can't know you're here?" _So this wasn't about Sorel. Or maybe the traitor works for Sorel_, she thought.

"That's right. I should only be here for a few days," he replied. He looked at her. He could see she was uncertain. She probably didn't like that she had to lie to Lucky. He remembered that before the fire they had an honest relationship. He didn't want her to have to lie to the man she loved. "I realize this will be hard for you. I can leave, just don't tell anyone you ever saw me." He got up to walk to the door.

Elizabeth reached for his arm. "No, no Jason, you're going to stay here, okay? I understand you wouldn't have asked me if it weren't important. I'm just going to tell everyone that I'm busy working on a painting and I can't be disturbed." Jason needed her help, and she wouldn't let him down. "Do you need anything? Something to eat?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Jason was relieved. She was letting him stay. He walked back to couch.

"Are you sure? Because I can have a pizza back here in five minutes." When he shook his head, she let the issue go. She remembered Jason not eating much the last time he was here. She would make sure he got plenty to eat this time. She would come by every day to make sure he was all right. "Okay, I should get back to Kelly's anyway. Lucky is waiting for me. He and I worked everything out. We're better than ever," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

It was a small thing, but Jason noticed it. "That's…" he didn't know what to say. She didn't look happy. "I'm glad for you."

"Yeah, me too. When you were here last summer, Lucky was pushing me towards Nicholas. But it was all a set up to catch Helena. After Helena was killed, Lucky explained that he needed her to believe she had control of him. We've been together ever since."

"That's good. I know you dreamed of having Lucky come back to you. I'm glad you're happy." He knew something was wrong, but he wasn't sure if he should ask her about it.

"Does Carly know you're here?" She just remembered his ex-girlfriend. Would he want to see her now that she's married to Sonny? "And Michael have you seen him?"

"No, to both. Carly doesn't know and I haven't seen Michael." It still hurt to think of Michael. He knew Michael was better off with Sonny as his father, but he still missed him in his life. Maybe, he always will.

Elizabeth saw the sad look in Jason's eyes. _He hasn't gotten over Carly_, she thought. "Is it okay if I ask where you've been these past months?"

Leaving his thoughts of Michael, he looked at Elizabeth. "Everywhere. Nowhere." They both smiled remembering the night at Jake's. "I just travelled around a lot."

"I'm glad your back, Jason." She moved to hug him. "I missed you," she said as she moved back a little to look into his eyes.

"I missed you, too," he replied looking back at her.

For a moment, Elizabeth thought she saw something in his eyes. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but she began very aware of the fact that she was only inches away from his lips. Her eyes dropped to look at them. Quickly she lifted her arms off his shoulders and moved off the couch. She walked towards her jacket. She needed to get back to Lucky. He would be waiting. Jason gave a little sigh and followed her to the door.

"I'll be here tomorrow morning with breakfast, okay?" She asked without looking back. "If you need anything, let me know tomorrow and I'll try to get it for you. Bye." Without waiting for his reply, she opened the door and left.

Jason stared at the closed door. Only the first day and he was already having trouble keeping his feelings to himself. Elizabeth must have sensed something during the hug. That was why she took off. He hadn't wanted to know that he had feelings for her. Especially now that she was with Lucky. He didn't want her to worry about it. If she did that would change their relationship and he didn't want that to happen. If his choice were between being her friend secretly loving her and not being her friend because she knew how he felt, he would prefer to be her friend. He would just have to be more diligent about keeping his feelings to himself. Elizabeth must never know that he loved her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Elizabeth, these pictures are beautiful!" Laura exclaimed. She was sitting behind her desk the proofs Lucky had developed scattered across her desk. "I knew you were going to be perfect for this job." She looked up from her desk smiling.

Elizabeth returned Laura's smile with her own. "That's great," she replied without the same enthusiasm. She sat in the chair a little uncomfortable. When Lucky had told her the proofs were great, she'd thought he was just being nice. She hoped when she spoke to Laura the truth would come out. But here she sat listening the Laura gush over the pictures more sure about her idea than before. What was she going to do? How was she going to get out of this modelling thing without hurting Lucky and Laura?

Laura noticed Elizabeth's discomfort. "I know that you didn't have the greatest time at the photo shoot." Ha, it was torture, Elizabeth thought. "But I know it will get better. Lucky will be doing all of your pictures and we will try to make it as relaxed as possible for you." Still see Elizabeth's unease Laura asked, "You do want to do this, don't you?"

This was it. This was her chance to tell Laura the truth that she didn't want to be a model. She didn't want to be the new Face of Deception. She could see it Laura's eyes. Laura would be okay if she didn't want the job. "Well..."

"Of course she wants to do this," Lucky said walking into the office. "Why wouldn't she?" He walked up to Elizabeth and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Mom, this is our dream. This is what we've always wanted." He looked down at Elizabeth, back up to Laura and then back to Elizabeth. She smiled lovingly back at him.

Laura continued to look at Elizabeth. She was worried about her. Elizabeth didn't look as excited by this new venture as Lucky was. "Elizabeth, are you sure?"

"Yes… Laura, I'm very sure. It's just as Lucky said this is our dream," Elizabeth replied. She looked up at Lucky. He looked so happy. She didn't want to let him down.

Laura was quiet for a moment unsure what to do. Elizabeth's unease seemed to be gone. Maybe she had made a mistake. Maybe Elizabeth wasn't uncomfortable about being a model. If she were, Elizabeth would tell her. Of that Laura was certain. Elizabeth was never one to lie. "Okay great, let's look at these pictures. Lucky you did an amazing job. These pictures are fantastic."

"Thank you, but with Elizabeth as the model any picture would be great," he moved to stand beside Laura and looked down at the pictures scattered across the desk.

Elizabeth sat back and watched them. Laura began talking about more getting more proofs done and taking to advertisers to begin coming up with a campaign with Elizabeth as the centre. The more they talked about the future, the more Elizabeth just wanted to scream and run out of the office. She didn't know if she could handle months and months of this. The constant lying and pretending were getting to her. She felt guilty. They both looked so excited and she wasn't. For from it. She felt like she was betraying them, even though she was doing it for them.

"Elizabeth? --- Elizabeth." She looked up to see Laura staring at her.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I was just saying that I'll have the lawyers draw up the contracts and send them over for you to sign."

"Over my dead body!"

All three turned around to see Carly standing in the doorway. "There is no way in hell this little girl is going to be our new model for the Face of Deception," Carly stalked into the office and stopped at the desk.

"Carly, we agreed that I would head up the perfume line and you would be in charge of the cosmetics," Laura replied in a confused tone. "What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Carly waved her arms about and looked at Laura as if she had lost her mind. "What's the problem she asks? I'll tell you the problem. There is no way this goody-goody muffin face is going to be our model. Not while I still have equal say in this company." She looked at Elizabeth. If looks could kill I would be dead, Elizabeth thought. She never thought she would love that Carly hated her so much. Maybe this was her way out without having to hurt the people she loved. If Carly didn't want her for the model, then she wouldn't be the model.

"Carly, that is not your decision to make." Laura was beginning to get angry. She knew working with Carly was going to be trouble. "And you don't have equal say in this company. You only own 49 of the stock. Any final decision belongs to me."

"You know Sonny owns the other 1 and he would side with me in any matter."

"That's right. Bring Sonny into this. What's your big mobster husband going to do? Threaten us to do things your way?" Lucky piped up. He was angry. There was no way his dream, their dream, was going to end. He moved closer to Carly getting in her face. "I'm not afraid of Sonny."

"Lucky, don't," Elizabeth moved to stand in front of Lucky. She tried to push him towards the couch in the middle of the room, but he wouldn't move.

"Listen cousin, I don't need my husband to take care of you. That I could do all by myself."

"Carly, Lucky, stop it," Laura yelled. "This is not a school yard. This is my office. Let's sit down and discuss this like adults."

At first neither Carly nor Lucky moved. Elizabeth was afraid that they were actually going to start to fight. It was so out of character for Lucky. She had never seen him like that before. Carly backed away first.

"Laura, you're right. We need to settle this problem in a civilized manner." Carly moved to sit on the couch. "I don't want Elizabeth as the Face of Deception."

Laura sighed, "Why not?"

"I don't think she has what it takes. She wasn't what I envisaged as the Face of Deception. The Face of Deception is exotic and sultry. She's sexy and mysterious. She knows what she wants and gets it." She looked to Elizabeth. "That little girl isn't the Face of Deception." Elizabeth stared at her. The one person who has always hated her was the only one speaking the truth. She didn't know if she should be insulted or thank her.

"What! You don't know anything." Lucky said angrily. "Who gave you…"

"Lucky, stop it," Elizabeth interrupted. "Carly owns this company with Laura. She has the right to her opinion."

"She's lying. You are perfect for the job. She knows it. She just doesn't like the fact that my mother thought of it and she didn't."

"That's not true," she needed to calm him down. She didn't want him and Carly to start up again. "You know what? Let's leave Carly and Laura to discuss this." She looked at the two women for agreement. "It's their company and their decision." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door. "Laura, let me know what you've decided, okay?" At Laura nod and Carly snarl, she continued out the door with Lucky following behind.

She was glad to be out there. This situation was getting more and more complicated. She had to find a way to fix this without hurting Lucky and Laura.

"I can't believe that woman," Lucky exclaimed. "Who does she think she is? This company was my mother's idea. What right does she have to object to her choice?"

"Lucky, Carly has every right to object to me as the Face of Deception. She is the part owner."

As they entered the elevator, Lucky turned her around and looked into her eyes. "Why aren't you upset?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Carly can destroy our dreams and you're calm. You seem okay with it. Why aren't you as mad as I am?"

What do I say, she thought. Carly's my saviour. She may have saved me from months of lying and pretending. "Lucky, she not going to destroy our dreams. We have more going than that. I'm sure that Laura will convince Carly that I'm the right choice." This was the perfect time to see his reaction, she thought. "And anyway, even if they find someone else, it won't be the end of the world. We'll still be together."

"What, how can you say that?" Lucky began pacing around the elevator. "Elizabeth, this is our dream. How can you say it won't be the end of the world?" He stopped pacing when the elevator door opened. "I'm not going to let Carly ruin our dream. You'll see." Without looking back he walked away.

Elizabeth called after him, but he didn't stop. She didn't know what to do or say. Nothing she did seemed to work. She was worried about what he would do. Lucky refused to let this idea in his head go. She couldn't understand why it was so important to him. Why was he trying to change her? Before the fire, Lucky loved her painting. Now he didn't seem to care if she painted or not. He rarely asked her about what she was painting. Not that she was. But he didn't know that. Guilt passed through her. She was lying to him. She couldn't seem to stop. It was just one lie after the other. What has happened to us? How did we get here?

She started walking, images of the past running through her mind. They were happy once. Before the fire. Nothing was the way she had imaged it when she'd prayed for Lucky's return.

When she looked up, she realized she had walked to her studio. Jason! She had forgotten to bring him breakfast. He must be starving. She looked at her watch. It was almost six. Unless he went out, he hadn't eaten all day. She needed to get him something. Walking to Kelly's, she ignored the feeling of joy that she would be seeing him.

Kelly's was busy when Elizabeth walked into the restaurant. She went straight to the counter and looked for Penny to order. She called out to her assuming Penny had gone to the back for something. Emily came out instead.

"Emily, what are you doing here?" Emily had on an apron and held a notepad in her hands. "Where's Penny?"

"Hey, Elizabeth." Emily walked behind the counter and up to her. "Penny's sick, so I took over her shift now that I need to support myself."

"What do you mean support yourself?" The last Elizabeth had heard Emily was back home at her parents' house after returning from boarding school.

"I moved out," she said defiantly. "I couldn't stay there. I hadn't been back five minutes, and they were already attacking me about Zander. He's a criminal Emily. He'll hurt you, Emily. We just want you safe. They don't understand that I love him. Zander would never hurt me. He loves me. And right now he needs me more than ever."

Zander would soon be testifying against Sorel in the policeman murder case. Elizabeth didn't really like him much. He was unpredictable. She remembered last summer when Zander had been a drug dealer and they had thought he had killed the policeman. Zander had kidnapped Emily and tried to escape to Canada. Jason had stopped him along with her and Lucky. Zander was dangerous and she didn't want Emily hurt. But she couldn't tell Emily her fears. She got enough criticism of Zander from her parents. Plus she remembered another time in her life when those same words were directed at her about Jason. Everyone had said he was dangerous and would hurt her. She had stood up to practically the whole town. Jason was her friend and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her she couldn't be with him.

"They just care about you. They don't want anything to happen to you. Maybe they have a point. Maybe right now is not the best time to be around him." Elizabeth tried to reason. She knew Emily wouldn't listen. She hadn't when it came to Jason and he was only a friend. Emily was in love with Zander. Anything negative against him would only fall on deaf ears.

"Elizabeth, not you too," she looked betrayed. Out of everyone Emily had thought Elizabeth would be on her side.

"I'm not saying you can't be with him for ever. Just that it might be a good idea for you to keep apart until after the trial. I wouldn't want Sorel to go after you thinking he could get to Zander through you."

"Jason and Sonny would never let that happen," she said with confidence. "I'm more worried about something happening to Zander. He's not Sonny's favourite person right now. And I'm not really sure where Jason is. There's no one looking out for him making sure he's safe."

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. She needed to order and leave. "Sorel wouldn't go after Zander. It would be too risky to get rid of him just before the trial. Everyone will be looking at everything Sorel does. I don't think he will get the chance. Em, I need a number 3 to go okay."

"I know, but I would still feel better knowing that Jason was protecting him. I haven't talked to Jason since I came back from boarding school. He usually calls me every few days. I just hope something hasn't happen to him," Emily replied before leaving to give cook the order.

Elizabeth wanted to tell Emily that Jason was only blocks away in her studio, but she knew Jason wouldn't like it. No one had to know he was in town even Emily.

"Jason's probably doing something important for Sonny and can't call right now," she said reassuringly when Emily returned. "You know what his job is like. When he can call you, he will."

"I know you're right. I'm just worried," she said before leaving to take the orders of the new customers.

Walking to the studio, Elizabeth thought back to what Emily had said. She was worried too about Jason. She hoped whatever he was involved in wasn't too dangerous. She laughed. What was she thinking? Jason's whole life was dangerous. That's what you live with when you're in the mob. She, more than anyone, knew that since she'd found him almost dead in the snow a year and a half ago. Jason lived a dangerous life. One that was kill or be killed. But she knew he never took stupid risks. That wasn't Jason. He always thought things through, assessed the situation and then made the right decision. He didn't let feeling control him and that was what kept him alive.

Sometimes she envied his ability to control his emotions. Most people thought he didn't feel, but she knew he did. He just kept it hidden so he could do his job. She couldn't imagine what it felt like to kill someone. She knew he took it seriously. She didn't think he liked doing it but knew he would and he had when someone threatened Sonny and his family. Jason would protect anyone close to him. She remembered when Sorel had approached her last year. Jason would have killed him if he had touched her. She should've been afraid of Jason but all she'd felt was protected. She knew Jason would die to protect her. She took comfort in that like he was her guardian angel. She smiled at the thought and continued walking to the studio.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Jason?" she called quietly into the dark room after closing the door. He was standing at the window. "Can I turn the light on?"

"Yeah," he replied moving towards her.

"I brought you something to eat," she said holding up the bag from Kelly's. "I know you must be starving. I was going to come by this morning, but Lucky had to go to his darkroom to develop some pictures and then I had a meeting with Laura."

"Elizabeth, It's okay. I don't expect you to take care of me. It's not like the last time I was here." He looked at her. He could see she remembered as he did the time he spent here when he was shot. Elizabeth had taken care of him by bringing him food and medicine. "You're letting me stay here. That's more than enough."

"Is everything okay? The room?" She gestured around the room.

"Yeah, yeah, it's – it's quiet though."

"Well, would you like to hear about my wild and exciting day?" She smiled. She needed to keep this light. She didn't want to complain to Jason. It was only his second day back. She didn't want him thinking that all she ever did was complain about her life to him.

"Sure." He sat and began eating his meal.

"Okay, well, how should I put this? I am either going to be the next big supermodel or a complete and total failure."

"What do you mean?" He looked up from his sandwich. That wasn't what he was expecting. He thought she was going to talk about Lucky.

"Well, Laura had this crazy idea of me being the new Face of Deception," she laughed and framed her face with her hands. "Can you see this face on every bus and billboard and in every magazine?" She didn't wait for his reply. "Lucky thinks it's a great idea. He's the photographer. He sees the two of us working together and living together just like we had planned before the fire. He's so excited. He can't wait for us to get started and then we can travel around the world taking pictures and selling perfume. We'd be making so much money. I wouldn't have to worry ever again. And then I'd be able to paint anytime I want."

Jason didn't say anything. He knew she would have to come up for air soon. He could tell something was wrong. She only got this way when she didn't want people to think she wasn't okay. But he could see it. There was something wrong.

"Do you really want the job?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I want the job. Who wouldn't? The money is excellent."

"Elizabeth, money's not important to you. I know." He didn't want to bring him up but Jason knew that he was behind Elizabeth's unease. "It was Tom, right? That was his name? He was a photographer."

Her smile was frozen on to her face. She hadn't talked about him in a very long time. Not even Lucky had brought up the subject when this whole model thing began. "I guess I told you that, huh."

"Hey, it must be tough."

She was quiet for along time. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned his name, he thought. "Elizabeth – Elizabeth, are you okay?"

She couldn't keep it in any longer. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who would understand. And she knew Jason would. He always did. "Yeah, Yeah. I felt like he was watching me, too. Every time the lights flashed, I jumped. I was trying so hard to smile, but I know I looked ridiculous. These people I didn't even know were mauling all over me. Even with Lucky taking the pictures all I wanted to do was run and hide."

"If you don't like it, don't take the job."

She laughed. She knew Jason would say that. With Jason everything was simple. If you don't want to do something, don't do it. She wished she could take his advice but it wasn't that simple.

"Laura's counting on me."

"What about you? What about what you want? Are you still painting these days?" He knew the answer. He'd had all day to look around. He knew there were no new paintings either complete or in progress. It looked like she hadn't painted anything since the last time he was in Port Charles and that was six months ago.

Elizabeth didn't want to get into this discussion with him. He already knew about her issues being a model. She didn't need him to know about her problems with Lucky as well. At least not now. She didn't know if she would ever be ready to tell him that.

"Mostly, I'm just happy. My life has never been so perfect. Lucky and I were in love before the fire, but now – I didn't know it could be like this. You know, when Lucky and I went to search for Emily in Canada, we were having problems but – Oh wait, Emily. You probably don't know what's going on."

Jason could see that Elizabeth wanted to change the subject. Should he push and find out exactly what was wrong with her and Lucky or should he let it go. As much as he didn't want her to hurt, he also didn't want to here about Lucky and how much she loved him. "Have you seen her?"

"She moved into Kelly's this morning. She's working there too. She told me she just couldn't live at the Quartermaines?" She could see he was worried about her. "I know you want to see her."

"Yeah, well. I'll deal with it." His mind didn't seem to be in the room. It was off somewhere, she didn't know. Was he thinking about Emily or was he worried about whatever it was that had brought him back to Port Charles.

"You know, I can listen, too."

He looked at her. He usually kept his feelings to himself. He'd had a lot of practice working for Sonny. Even though there were a lot of things he couldn't tell Elizabeth, he wanted to. It scared him a little. With Robin and Carly he had always kept a part of himself separate from them. But with Elizabeth, he wanted her to know everything about himself. As much as he would love to tell her how he felt, he knew she wasn't ready to hear it. He didn't think she would ever be ready.

Ignoring the question he reached into his jean pocket and took out all the money he had on him. "I want you to give this to Emily." He said handing her the money.

She didn't move to take the money. "And tell her what, I robbed a bank?"

"Just say it's from Sonny." He kept his arm extended waiting for her to take the money.

She looked at him concerned. "You'd feel a lot better if you could see her."

"No," he said shaking his head, "that can't happen."

"You know she would never say anything."

"Look, Emily cannot know that I'm in town," he gave up holding the money and paced it on the table. "I wish you didn't."

Elizabeth stared at him. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She wanted to take his worry away. To make everything he was dealing with go away. But she couldn't. Jason deserved to be happy and she wanted more than anything to make that happen. She just didn't know how to do it.

She was startled out of her thinking by a knock on the door. Then she heard Lucky's voice through the door, "Elizabeth."

She didn't reply. She continued to look at Jason quietly. She had forgotten about Lucky. She didn't know when in the conversation, but sometime between the modelling and Emily's situation with her family and Zander, her problems with Lucky had disappeared. Now it was standing outside her door.

"Just a minute!" She turned to grab her coat. She looked back to Jason and said quietly, "I'll be back tomorrow." She hesitated for a second then grabbed the money on the table and walked to the door. Making sure Lucky couldn't see inside, she turned out the light and closed the door.

"Hey!"

"Hey."

She started walking towards the stairwell forcing Lucky to follow. "I was just heading over to Kelly's."

"Well, I came to walk you back." He was oblivious to anything suspicious going on. Elizabeth felt a twinge of guilt. She was always lying to Lucky. She didn't know when she was going to stop. She was beginning to think she couldn't. And maybe if she was honest with herself, she was even a little afraid to. She thought back to his reaction earlier today.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry about this afternoon." She looked up at him. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset and walked off."

"You scared me a little, Lucky," at least that was the truth.

"I know and I'm sorry," he said again. He ran his hand through his hair disturbing it. For a moment he looked like his old self. "I don't know what came over me. It just upset me so much. This is our dream, Elizabeth. We always said we would be together and now Carly is going to take that away from us."

She stopped walking. "Carly can't take our dream away. She doesn't have the power. Sure she can stop me from being the Face of Deception, but she can't stop us being together." Was that what was going on? Was Lucky afraid they wouldn't be together? "Lucky, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Then that's all we need," she said reassuringly. She took his hand and continued walking.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kelly's was quiet when they walked in. It was almost closing. Emily was behind the counter wiping it down. "Hey you guys! How's everything with the perfect couple?"

"We're great, Emily," Lucky answered. "I heard you moved in." They both took off their coats and sat at the counter.

Emily smiled, "Yep, I've declared my independence. It's going to be great. I've moved into the empty room beside Elizabeth and as soon as this trial is over and Zander is free, we're going to find a place together."

"Emily, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Elizabeth couldn't stop the anxiety from building up in her. "What about school? Your family?"

"We've already talked about my family. They don't trust me, and they don't believe in Zander. I don't want anything to do with them."

"You say that now, but what about later?" Elizabeth didn't want Emily to make the biggest mistake of her life. She needed to see that she was moving too fast.

"There won't be a later. Elizabeth, you know the Quartermaines, they don't change. Look a Jason. It's been years since the accident and they still haven't gotten over it and moved on. They could have a relationship with Jason. Even a small one, as much as he would allow. But all they see is the past. They can't see the present Jason. It's the same with me. They don't see me as I am now. They just see the little girl they took in who needs to be sheltered. Well, not anymore."

Elizabeth could see she wouldn't win the family argument with Emily. "What about school? You haven't finished high school yet. And you always wanted to go to university and become a lawyer."

Emily wasn't happy. Elizabeth was supposed to support her not talk her out of it. She, more than anyone, knew what being in love was all about. "I'm going to finish high school. I only have one semester to go." She laughed, "University is now out of the question. I still want to go, but now I won't be able to afford it. Not on the money I make here at Kelly's."

"I'm sure your parents would still pay for university."

Emily laughed again. "Not if Grandfather has any say. He'll use it as a bargaining chip to keep me away from Zander."

"You don't know that." Elizabeth was feeling desperate. She didn't want Emily to ruin her life and that was all she could see from this discussion to live with Zander.

"Yes, I do. Elizabeth, you don't know the Quartermaines like I do. They would use anything. Ask Jason, he'll tell you."

Lucky had remained quiet throughout their conversation. "Elizabeth, why are you so against this?" Elizabeth was shocked. She knew he didn't like Zander either. "Emily loves Zander. Now I may not think he's the greatest person in the world. But if she loves him and he loves her, then they have a right to be together. Just like us."

"Thank you, Lucky. I knew I could count on you," Emily leaned over the counter to kiss him on the cheek before going into the kitchen to clean up.

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. "Zander's dangerous. Remember what happened last summer? Remember what he put her through? If she stays with him he'll get her killed one day."

"Yes, I remember. But I also know that Emily has the right to love who she wants to love. I may not like it but it's her right."

Elizabeth didn't know how to argue with that. He was right. She didn't have the right to dictate to Emily about who she could love even if it was going to hurt her. Before she could say anything else, Emily returned counting her tip money.

"Emily, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you about Zander. I just don't you to forget about your dreams. You deserve to have your dreams come true."

"It's okay, Elizabeth. I understand. I still want to go to university and become a lawyer. I'm not giving up on that dream. It's just that sometimes dreams change for the better. Being with Zander is my dream now." She hugged her. "You deserve to have your dreams come true, too."

Elizabeth returned the hug. What Emily said stuck in head. _Sometimes dreams change_. "Oh, Emily, I have something for you." She reached into her coat pocket and retrieved the money Jason had given her. "Here, this is for you."

"Oh my God! Elizabeth, where did you get this money? Did you rob a bank?"

"Sonny. I saw him after I talked to you, and he wanted you to have it."

"This is great!" She went around to hug her. "I was worried I wouldn't have enough money until I got my first pay check. Now everything is going to be wonderful." She hugged Elizabeth one more time and then went back into the kitchen.

"When did you see Sonny?"

Elizabeth was expecting the question. "After the meeting I came to Kelly's and saw Emily. We talked and then I went to my studio. On the way there, I met Sonny on the pier. We talked, I mentioned Emily, he gave me the money and then I continued to the studio."

"You didn't go to his penthouse?" She could hear the accusation in his voice.

"Why would I go to his penthouse?"

"I don't know, you tell me? To find out about Jason?"

Elizabeth was shocked. "Jason? What does Jason have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. Why else would you be talking to Sonny if not about Jason?"

"Lucky, Sonny is my friend. I don't need to talk about Jason to talk to him."

"Sonny isn't your friend. He isn't anyone's friend. Neither is Jason. They'll only get you killed." He was getting upset. His face flushed.

Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sonny has helped me a lot. He has been there for me many times when you were dead. He is my friend. And I am his friend. When his baby died, I was there to comfort him."

"Comfort him! You mean have sex with him," he accused.

"What!" She was speechless. Where had that come from? "I did not have sex with Sonny. He is married to Carly. They love each other. How can you think this about me? That I would have an affair with a married man?" She stood and walked to Kelly's entrance to lock the doors. She needed to do something normal. This conversation was becoming crazy.

Lucky grabbed her hand before she could walk past him to the stairs. "I'm sorry. I don't think that."

She turned back around and faced him, "But you said it. If you said it, you must be thinking it."

"I'm not. I'm sorry. I just don't like when you talk about the time I was away. Sonny helped you when I couldn't be there. How do you think that makes me feel? I'm the one who should be comforting you not some else."

Looking into his eyes, she began to calm down. "Sonny is my friend. He was there when you couldn't be, but that didn't mean I didn't want you there. That was why he helped me. Because he knew how much I needed you. I love you."

"Okay, but I'm here now. You don't need his help anymore," he insisted.

"He is still my friend. And yours, too. He would help us if we ever needed anything."

"He's dangerous. He'll get you killed one day."

"Wait a minute," Elizabeth said not quite believing her ears. "I said the same to Emily not 5 minutes ago and you said it was her choice."

"Yeah, but Emily isn't my girlfriend. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me just because Sonny Corinthos is my friend."

Lucky ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "You don't know that. You can't guarantee you won't get hurt. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Elizabeth. When I was taken from you, I almost lost my mind. I didn't know what had happened to you. For a while I thought Helena had killed you. I am nothing without you." He wrapped his rams around her and held her in a tight hug.

"Lucky," she tried to break the hug. He was holding her to tightly. She couldn't breathe.

He released her just enough to look into her eyes. "Just promise me – promise me nothing bad will happen to you."

She stared at him. He looked so worried. He had never really talked about his experience with Helena. Elizabeth could only imagine what she must have put him through. She didn't want to add to that. She didn't want Lucky to hurt anymore. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise."

He smiled and kissed her. She returned the kiss but not with her whole self. "Let's go upstairs." When she nodded, he called out to Emily. "Em, we're going upstairs."

Emily popped her head out of the kitchen. "Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They walked hand in hand up the stairs and stopped at her door. He kissed her again. She knew he expected to come in with her. Even though they had two separate rooms, he spent most of the time in her room. But she didn't want him to come in. "Lucky, I'm really tired. So much has happened today. I'd like to be alone for tonight. I need to reflect."

"What do you mean? What's there to reflect about?" He was angry again. It didn't seem to take much for that to happen these days. It seemed that everything she said made him upset.

"Nothing, I'm just really tired. I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Okay? I'll meet you downstairs tomorrow for breakfast, okay?" She didn't wait for a reply. She opened her door and went inside leaving Lucky standing in the hallway. He stood by her door for a while. She could see his shadow under the door. She was worried he would ignore her and let himself in with his key. But after a few minutes he moved on to his room. She could hear his door open and close and him moving around inside. She sighed in relief. She hadn't been lying. She really was tired. It was exhausting always being on, having to keep track of all the lies she was telling and reassuring Lucky every minute that she wasn't going to leave him. She got ready for bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

"Jason?" Elizabeth called out when she entered the studio. "Jason?" She looked around. There was no reply. She turned on the light. The studio was empty. He was gone. For a second, she panicked. He changed his mind. Should she call Sonny? No, that's a bad idea, she thought. If Jason left then Sonny would know about it. Jason wouldn't do anything without letting Sonny know. Plus, neither Sonny or Jason needed her messing up their plans. She just wished Jason had told her he wasn't going to stay. She opened the closest door. Relief washed through her. His bag was still lying on the bottom of the closest. She looked at the clock. It was six o'clock in the morning. Where could he be? What was he doing?

What was she doing here? She removed her coat and threw it on the couch. She'd gotten up and left Kelly's before Lucky had awakened. She needed to be away from him, to have some time to herself. That's what she'd thought when she left, but she ended up here, where Jason was staying. If she was honest, she wanted to see him. She didn't have to pretend with him. She could be herself and not have to worry about what she says being used against her.

She was glad Jason was back. If she was honest, she needed him. His strength. She always felt better when she was with Jason. Even being at the studio was comforting. Deep in her mind, she still thought of the studio as theirs. She couldn't help it. He had been such an important part of her life when she had gotten it. She couldn't think of the studio without thinking about Jason.

That was why when Lucky had first returned she'd felt uneasy when he'd been in the room. It was like she was betraying Jason, which was ridiculous. She couldn't betray Jason with Lucky. _If anything, Jason's time here was a betrayal to Lucky_, a little voice in her head said. No, it wa_sn't_. She couldn't think like that. She didn't betray Lucky with anyone. Jason was her friend. He helped her through the most difficult times of her life. That's not betrayal. _Are you sure Lucky would agree?_ Yes! Of course he would. _Like he understood about Sonny?_

She didn't have a come back for that. After his reaction yesterday, he probably wouldn't understand. Lucky had acted kind of jealous of Sonny. She didn't know what he would do if he knew about Jason. Was that why she's never really told him about her time with Jason over that Christmas? He knew Jason was her friend, but he didn't know everything about heir time together. And he especially didn't know how she felt about Jason. Was she afraid of what Lucky would do? Was that why she'd never talked about him? _Yes._ Was she afraid of Lucky's jealousy or the fact that he might have the right to be jealous?

She couldn't think about that. She couldn't let that thought enter her mind. Jason was her friend nothing more. Maybe something could have happened between them before, but not that Lucky was back in her life. She loved Lucky. She needed to keep her mind on something else. She stared at the blank canvas. She felt an urge she hadn't felt in a long time. She needed to paint. She grabbed her brushes and paint and sat down in front of the easel. Unlike the previous times she tried, this time she painted a stroke along the canvas. Then another one. Then another. And another. She didn't know what she was painting, but it didn't matter. She was painting after weeks and weeks of nothing. Her shoulders seemed lighter. The light in the studio seemed brighter. The world was righting itself again. Her world.

That's how Jason found her four hours later. He had gone out early to follow one of the warehouse's employees after his shift. Jason had looked into his bank records and he had surprisingly more than the Sonny was paying him to load coffee. Jason wanted to know where the money was coming from so he followed him to a seedy bar 20 miles outside Port Charles that opened all night. There he met with Roscoe, Sorel's wannabe second in command. Jason couldn't hear their conversation, but he saw money pass hands and new he was right about the loader. Sorel was going to try something before the trial. He knew it. He just needed to find out what it was and how many were involved.

She hadn't noticed when he entered the studio. She was so caught up in her painting. He looked at the canvas. He couldn't figure out what she was painting, but as he moved closer he could see the smile on her face. She doesn't smile enough, he thought.

"Elizabeth," he said quietly. He didn't want to scare her.

She jumped out of her chair. "Oh my God! Jason how long have you been here?"

"I just got here." He looked at the canvas again. "You're painting."

She turned back to the easel. "Yeah, uh, yeah." She looked unsure like she didn't want him to see her new painting. But happy, too. "When I got here this morning you weren't here, so I don't know. I just had this urge to paint. I haven't felt like that in a long time. It's so great. I sat down in front of the easel. I really didn't know what I was doing. I felt possessed. Like I didn't have control over my arm. I just kept painting and painting. I couldn't stop."

"Elizabeth – Elizabeth." He loved seeing that smile on her face. He was beginning to think that he would never see it again.

"I'm sorry. I'm babbling, aren't I? Jason, I'm just so happy," she couldn't contain her joy. She reached out and hugged him. She turned back to the painting. "What do you think? You know what, don't answer that. It's crap, but I don't care. I painted something. It's amazing."

He couldn't help but return her smile. Her excitement was catching. Almost. As much as he hated to do it, she needed to leave. Sonny would be knocking on the door any minute. "I know you're happy and I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important…"

Her smile vanished. "What is it? Something terrible is about to happen, isn't it?"

"No, I just need you to leave." When it looked like she was about to question him, he intercepted her. "It's nothing. I promise. Sonny is just meeting me here. I didn't think you would be here."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you? Someone's not going to break down this door are they?" She was worried. She didn't want anything to happen to Jason. She would never tell him, but she was afraid for him. His life was so dangerous. She thought back to when she found him bleeding in the snow. If she had took a different route or stopped to talk to someone, he would be dead. "Jason, I found you bleeding in the snow, practically dead. I don't want to do that again."

He could see how afraid she was. He never wanted her to feel that way. "Elizabeth, don't think about that now. This isn't like before. No one knows I'm here remember. Just Sonny, who will be here any minute."

"I know. I'm just concerned for you. Sonny was gunned down in front of the police department. Emily could've been killed." She stopped and tried to calm down. "I'm not helping, am I?"

He smiled. She was going to be okay. "You can help me by leaving. Not forever, just for a few hours, okay?"

She was still worried but she knew he didn't want her to get involved. "Okay, I'm going. But you'll be careful, won't you? Whatever it is you're going to do." She went to grab her coat.

"You know I am. Always."

She looked back at him again and smiled, "You really matter to me. You know that, right?" She knew he was always careful, but sometimes it wasn't always enough. She grabbed her purse and opened the door. "Oh, Sonny!" He was standing in the hall hand raised to knock on her door. She stopped him before he could say anything. "Come on in. Don't worry, I'm leaving. I wouldn't want you guys to wait another minute to start your meeting. Sonny, I'm glad you're okay. You scared me." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "By the way, if Emily asked, you gave her five hundred dollars, okay?" She left without waiting for his reply.

Sonny smiled and entered the studio. "What's up with her? She looks happy."

"She gets that way when she paints. It takes some time to get use to," he laughed at Sonny bemused expression.

"Five hundred dollars?" He asked as he removed his coat and gloves.

Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "I gave her some money for Emily. She moved out the Quartermaine mansion and into Kelly's."

"Oh." He looked around the studio but at nothing in particular. "What do you have for me?"

"I followed Martinez after his shift to an all night bar 20 miles out of town. He met with Roscoe. I didn't hear their conversation but money was exchanged."

Sonny slammed his hand down on the table. "Dammit! Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Is he the only one?" Sonny couldn't believe this was happening. Just when he thought he was rid of Sorel. He should have killed him when he had the chance. Instead, he went the police route. In four weeks, Sorel would be behind bars. Why is he still being a thorn in his side?

"I don't know. I think there is more. Martinez doesn't have what it takes to do much. They probably want him to sabotage the warehouse. That would cause a problem for us but not really do a lot of damage. I think Sorel is looking for something bigger. He needs to show he's still strong even in jail. I'm still checking out the workers. I know I'll find something."

Sonny was quiet for a moment, thinking. He didn't like it. "I'll increase security around Carly and Michael. As soon as you find out everything, I want to make a move on Sorel. If he's going to continue giving me problems behind bars, I'd rather we just get rid of him. But not until we know who all the traitors are."

Jason stood to his full height with a straight back and a stone face. "I'll take care of it." It gave Sonny a chill. He could see why his enemies feared Jason. He would be too if he was on the other side of that face.

"Good." Sonny looked around the studio again. "Meanwhile, you're stuck in this place."

"I've stayed in worse places," he replied a little defensive. He didn't like Sonny looking his nose down at Elizabeth's studio.

Sonny raised his hands in defeat. "All right, don't get upset," he laughed. "You okay with money, food?"

"Yeah, Elizabeth is taking good care of me."

He smiled at that comment. "How good?"

"Sonny, it's not like that. She's with Lucky."

"I know but I bet you wish she wasn't," he joked.

"Sonny."

"Okay, okay." He reached for his coat and gloves on the table. "I'll see you later," he said as opened the door. Jason followed to lock the door behind him.

In the hall, Sonny stopped to put on his coat. "Lucky!" He called out a little louder than normal. "It's good to see you again."

Lucky stopped five feet away. He stared at Sonny with suspicion. "Yeah. What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see Elizabeth, but she's not here."

"You need to stay away from her. She doesn't need your kind around her."

"Whoa, hold on a second. Lucky, I'm going to forget you said that because you're Luke's son and even though we aren't partners anymore, we're still friends."

Lucky wasn't paying any attention to Sonny's warning. "You can't scare me. I know you have a thing for Elizabeth. You being here proves that. But she loves me. You'll never have her."

"Lucky, Elizabeth and I are friends. Nothing more."

"That's what you both say but I know there's something going on. You met yesterday and now today you're looking for her. You want her I know it. What isn't my slut of a cousin putting out anymore?"

Sonny was speechless. Lucky Spencer had lost his mind. That was the only explanation he could think of. Why else would he be talking to Sonny like that? His time away must have really been hard.

"Lucky! What are you doing here?" Sonny glanced up to see Elizabeth walking towards them. She was carrying a brown paper bag.

Sonny spoke before Lucky could get the chance. "Elizabeth, I just wanted to see if you would paint a mural in Michael's room. I missed his birthday and I wanted to make up for it."

For a second, it looked like she hadn't heard him. She just kept staring at Lucky surprised to see him standing outside her door. How much of Lucky's crazy ideas had she heard? "Yeah, that would be a great idea. I would love to paint Michael something. Give me a call and we'll set something up, okay?"

Sonny could tell she wanted him to leave. He wasn't sure he wanted to. He didn't feel right leaving her alone with Lucky. Jason was inside the studio, but he knew he couldn't risk Lucky seeing him. He was going to stay until he saw the pleading look in her eyes. She had heard what Lucky had said and it wasn't the first time. "Okay, I'll call you later on in the week." He slowly walked to the stairwell still feeling unsure about leaving her.

Elizabeth counted to ten before she spoke. "Lucky, what were you thinking? You had no right to attack Sonny like that."

"Why not? It's the truth. He'd have you in a second if you let him."

"Calm down. We talked about this yesterday remember? Sonny and I are not having an affair." She was tired of having the same conversation over and over again. Nothing she said seemed enough. Lucky continued to think the worst of her. Guilt swept through her. _It's your fault. You keep lying to him. No wonder he's so suspicious._ But to think she was sleeping with Sonny? It was ridiculous.

"Yeah, well he would like to. I know that. I can tell. He wants you."

"Lucky, Sonny is happily married to Carly. He doesn't want me. He thinks of me like a sister nothing more. I love you," she stressed.

"You're right. I know it. I'm just being an idiot."

"Why are you here?" She made no move to open her door. She knew Lucky would want to come in and she couldn't let that happen.

"I missed you this morning. I was worried. We were supposed to have breakfast, but you left before I woke up." She could here the underlining question.

"I had this wave of inspiration this morning and came over to paint while it was fresh in my mind." At least that was partly true. She couldn't tell him she didn't want to see him.

"That's great," he pointed to the door. "Can I see? You keep talking about all this painting you've been doing but I haven't seen anything lately. Why don't we spend the night here? You can paint and I'll just sit and watch you? I use to love to watch you paint. When I was held by Helena, it was all I could think. You standing by the easel, brush in hand. You were so beautiful. I would lie awake at night just thinking about what you were painting," he smile oblivious to her lack of movement.

What should she do? She couldn't let him in the studio. Jason was there. But she couldn't think of anything to say to stop him from coming in as well. "You know Lucky, I've painted enough today. I just came back because I needed to drop something off and then I was going to look for you."

"Well, here I am. Now you don't have to look." He faced her. "Come on," he reached inside his pocket and pulled out his keys. Before she could say anything, he had opened the studio door and pulled her inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was empty. Jason was gone. Disappointment rushed through her. No wait, Sonny was just here. He couldn't have left. Her eyes went to the closet. She knew he had to be in there. She looked back to Lucky. She needed to get him out of here. He was standing in front of the painting she had done earlier today. She was happy she had something to show him. But there was another feeling, too. She wasn't sure what it was. She didn't want him to look at it. She didn't want him in the studio. This was Jason's and her place, Lucky was intruding.

"Elizabeth, This is great. Elizabeth? Elizabeth can you hear me?" Lucky moved to her and touched her face. "Elizabeth, are you there?"

"What? Yeah, I'm sorry just lost in thought for a moment." She needed to snap out of this, this whatever she was in. Lucky wasn't intruding. He had a right to be here. The studio was a part of her and Lucky had all of her. "What did you say?"

He looked back to the painting. "I just said this was great. You've never done an abstract before."

She dropped her purse and Jason's dinner on the table. "Yeah, I know, but it just came to me." She looked at the painting, this time with different eyes. It contained everything she'd been feeling lately. She could see the hurt, the sadness and more surprisingly the anger. What was she angry about? She studied Lucky. Did he see it, too? "I guess I'm trying something different."

"Well, it's beautiful," he wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her. "Just like you."

She almost sighed in relief. He didn't understand the painting. She wouldn't have to explain why she was feeling these emotions. She smiled up at him, "I'm glad you like it." Her eyes went to the closet door again. "It's not finished. I really have to get it done. It's due in a couple of days."

"That's okay, I'll just sit on the couch and watch you work." He moved to the couch. "When you're done, we can go back to Kelly's and make love for the rest of the night."

She gave a nervous giggle. Did Jason just hear that? Probably. "Lucky, please. Just give me a few hours to get this finished and then I'm all yours, okay?"

"Elizabeth, I haven't seen you all day. What's going on? Are you avoiding me?"

"No, no I'm not avoiding you. I just need to get this done. Just like when you are developing your pictures. You know it's okay if we spend one day apart you know."

"No, it's not. We are meant to be together." He came and stood in front of her.

"We are together. A few hours apart is not going to hurt us."

"A few hours, Elizabeth or a few days? Maybe you mean a few months or years." His voice began to rise. "Is this your way of telling me you want to break up?"

"No!" How does she continue to get into these discussions with him? "Lucky, it just means a few hours, nothing more. I love you. I don't want to break up."

He grabbed her waist and pulled her into his embrace. "I love you, too. I don't want to spend any time away from you. I want be with you every minute of the day. That's why this modelling thing is going to be perfect. We'll be together all the time."

He was beginning to scare her. "Lucky, I just need sometime to finish my painting, okay? Then I'll meet you at Kelly's."

He stared into her eyes for so long she began to feel uncomfortable. He wasn't going to agree. She could see it. "Okay, you're right," he told her. "I'll give you two hours no more. Then we'll have a romantic night at Kelly's, okay?" He kissed her again.

"Okay," she said relief washing through her. When he didn't move, she twisted out of his arms as gently as possible. "Lucky."

He chuckled, "Okay, okay, I'm going." He gave her a quick kiss and then went to the door.

"Can you wait a minute, please?" She called out to Jason when she knew Lucky couldn't hear. She needed to calm herself before she saw him. He had heard so much; she didn't think she could face him.

She took a few deep breaths and counted to ten. "All right, come out." He slowly opened the door. "You heard all that, didn't you?" She could tell by the look on his face.

"Yeah, I did." He didn't know what to say, didn't really want to say anything.

"It wasn't what it sounded like." It didn't even sound believable to her. "Lucky's just under a lot of pressure at work."

"Elizabeth."

"He doesn't know what he saying. He's still getting over the stuff from last year. We're really still really getting everything back to the way it was. We still have some adjusting to do." She began clearing the table of brushes and paint tubes. She couldn't look at him, not yet.

"Elizabeth." He reached out to touch her hands from moving. "Elizabeth, look at me." She tipped her head up to look into his eyes. What she saw there made her cry. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she wiped her eyes and sat on the couch.

"For what?" He moved to sit beside her.

"I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to think that I only turn to you when I'm having problems," she gave him a weak smile.

"You don't," he replied. He knew it shouldn't but it hurt. She didn't want him to know. She didn't want to confide in him. He didn't think he could hurt more than hearing Lucky talk of them making love.

She gripped his hands, "Yes, Jason, I do. That's all I seem to do. You came here for my help. I didn't want to add to everything that going on with you. You have more important things to do than listen to my problems with Lucky."

"Elizabeth, I decide what is important to me and you are important to me. You're my friend. I'll always be here for you."

"I know but this time I wanted to be here for you. You're always here to listen to me and my problems. I wanted to help you."

"You are helping me. You're letting me stay here. That doesn't mean I can't help you, too." He could see she was fighting with herself about telling him or not. He didn't want to force her to do something if she didn't want to. "It's okay, if you don't want to talk. You don't have to."

She wiped her face again. She could seem to stop crying. "No, you're right. I think I need to talk about it." She got up and paced the room. She didn't know where to begin. "Do you remember when you were here last?" At his nod, she continued, "Lucky was pushing me away and telling me to be with Nicholas. Well, it was all a set up. I told you Lucky was just pretending to so he could beat Helena at her own game, which he did. He out thought her and in the end she died. Lucky killed her. I wasn't there but he said he was protecting himself that she'd tried to kill him.

"When everything was over, he just expected us to get back together. He didn't even apologize for hurting me all those months. He just assumed that I would forgive him and he was right because I did. We got back together immediately. But it wasn't like before. It didn't feel the same. I guess that makes sense, huh. We were different. We had spent more a year apart. I had changed." She looked at him. She didn't need to say more about that. They both knew how much she had changed. "But he'd changed, too. He didn't like that I was living here at the studio. He wanted me to move into Kelly's with him. He wanted to be with me all the time. I couldn't come here to paint. He wanted to come. It was like he couldn't let me out of his sight.

"I don't know what it was like for him during that year, he won't talk about it. But now he needs constant reassurance that I won't leave him that I love him. It seems to be getting worse. And now he won't let go of this idea of us working for Deception. I don't want to be a model." She stopped pacing and sat back down again. It felt good to speak the truth.

"Then tell him."

"I can't. It's not that simple," she covered her face with her hands and took another deep breath. "You heard him. He thinks the modelling is a perfect idea. Then we'll be together 24/7. I don't want to hurt him, Jason. And telling him I don't want to be a model will hurt him. It will destroy him. He'll think I don't want to be with him anymore."

"Would he be right?" He didn't know why he asked that question. He must really be a masochist. What else do you call someone who does something they know will hurt them? Insane?

"No! Maybe –- yes, I don't know." She got up to pace again. She didn't know what she wanted. "I love him. I don't want leave him. But I don't think I can take more either."

He didn't want to bring up what he had heard outside but he knew he had too. "What about Sonny?"

She turned to look at him. "What about Sonny?"  
"I heard you guys outside," he admitted.

She flushed, "You heard that too?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know what's going on with Sonny. Out of the blue yesterday Lucky accused me of sleeping with Sonny. I couldn't believe it. We argued. In the end I thought I had convinced him that there was nothing going on, but then today he accuses Sonny. I don't know what to do."

He hesitated. He didn't like to give advice. What did he know that he should be giving advice? But he didn't want Elizabeth to hurt anymore. "I think you should talk to him and tell him everything you're feeling."

"I can't. I told you. I don't want to hurt him."

"But it's okay that you're hurting. I don't understand." He didn't like to see her in so much pain. She seemed to be suffering more now that Lucky was with her than when Lucky was dead.

"Jason, please! He wouldn't understand if I told him the truth. He'll see it as a betrayal." She glanced at the clock on the table. "Oh my God! Is that the time? If I'm not at Kelly's soon, he'll be upset. I've got to go." She grabbed her coat and quickly put it on.

"Wait!"

"No. Jason. I have to get to Kelly's. I'll try to come tomorrow, okay?" She didn't wait for his answer. She hurried out the door without looking back leaving Jason standing in the middle of her studio.

He wanted to run after her and tell her she didn't need to be with Lucky. He wanted to tell her she should be with him, but he knew she wasn't ready to hear that. He knew she cared about him, but love was something different. She stilled loved Lucky or at least she still thought she did. He was beginning wonder if maybe she didn't. When she said she loved Lucky, it had sounded different. He couldn't think of what. Like she said it because she was supposed to say it but it didn't have any feeling behind it.

In fact now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen love coming from her just pain. When they had first began talking about Lucky after he died, Jason could see the love in her eyes and the pain of losing him. Today all he saw was the pain. He didn't know what that meant. All he knew was that she was hurting and he couldn't do anything to help her. He could only stay here and wait for her to come back. He hoped that she wouldn't stay away too long.

Elizabeth hurried to Kelly's. Lucky would be waiting and she didn't want to upset him again. She was doing that enough lately. But maybe Jason was right. Maybe she should sit down and talk to Lucky about everything that has been going on with them. Maybe she was about his reaction. Lucky loved her. He wouldn't want her do anything she didn't want to do. He would understand that she didn't want to be a model. Anyway, they really needed to talk, to reconnect. She felt like they were slipping away from each other and maybe that was her fault for not telling him the truth. They needed to find away to get back to where they were when He was taken. Then everything would be okay. She knew it.

She climbed the stairs with a smile on her face. Once they sat down and talked everything will get back to the way things were before. When they were in love and happy and it was them against the world.

"Lucky," she called out as she opened his door with her key. He was sleep on the bed. She looked at the clock. It was only eight o'clock. He must have been tired to have fallen asleep so early. She didn't have to heart to wake him. If she was honest with herself she was relieved. They could have their talk tomorrow. She turned to leave shutting out he light on her way out and went to her room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lucky hadn't come down yet. Elizabeth had just opened Kelly's and there were a few customers drinking their morning coffee. She thought back to her decision. She would sit down and have a serious talk with him about Deception. Then they could start on rebuilding their relationship.

"Good morning beautiful," he called out from the top of the stairs. The customers smiled and went back to their coffee. He flounced down the stairs and twirled her around. 

"Lucky! What's come over you?" She laughed as he spun her around again.

"I just got off the phone with my mother. She wants me to do the test shots of Gia." He took the coffee pot from her hand and poured himself a cup.

Elizabeth was confused, "Gia Campbell? Why would your mother want her picture?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" He asked as he stirred milk into his coffee. "Carly has chosen Gia to be the Face of Deception."

"What!" It was what she wanted to hear, but it still hurt. Laura hadn't even told her herself. Elizabeth had to learn about it second hand. She thought Laura had more respect for her than that. "When was that decided?"

He looked up at her and saw her confusion and disappointment. "No, I'm sorry. I meant Gia is Carly's pick for the Face of Deception. You are still my mother's pick. They have decided to take some more shots of the both of you and then make their final decision."

She gave Lucky a weak smile. She would have to go through this all over again? "Oh, that's good. But why are you so happy. I thought you were upset with Carly interfering."

"That's why I'm so happy. Carly wants me to do the shots to make it fair since I did yours, but I'm going to make sure Gia's shots don't come out as beautiful as yours. Then Carly will have to see that you are the right model for the job."

"What! Lucky, you can't do that. It's not right."

"Elizabeth, you are the right person for the job. Not Gia. I'm just making sure everyone knows it too. I told you, I'm not going let anyone get in the way of our dream."

She stared at him and for a moment she didn't recognize him. The Lucky she knew would never sabotage something to get what he wants. "I don't want you to do this for me."

He took her hand, "I'm not. I'm doing this for us."

She snatched her hand away. "I don't want you doing this for us either. If I'm going to be the Face of Deception then I want to be because I am the best person for the job, not because my boyfriend rigged it that way."

He took her hand again and kissed the back. "You are the best person for the job."

"Then prove it. Take beautiful pictures of Gia and let Carly and your mother decide. If I'm the right person then they'll pick me. Besides I don't want you getting into any trouble, especially with Carly. You wouldn't want to get fired, would you," she laughed.

"Carly can't fire me. My mother would allow it." He began placing light kisses along her arm. It was very similar to her dream. She tried to pull her arm away but he wouldn't let her. "What happened last night?" He asked quietly so that only she could hear. "You didn't show up."

The bell over the door rang to announce four new customers. She tried again to pull her arm away. "Lucky, I'm working. I have customers." He reluctantly let her go. She left to take the new arrivals order and to refill the coffee of the others without answering his question.

When she came back to the counter, he asked again. "I did show up last night," she replied. "But you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you so I went back to my room. You looked so peaceful. I know you needed the rest."

"Yeah, but I needed you more," he told her softly. "I wanted to be with you. We haven't been together in a long time."

"I know, but sometimes more important things get in the way."

"More important that us?" She'd said the wrong thing again. She could see it. Lucky was getting angry. She couldn't let him blow up in the middle of Kelly's.

"Good morning you guys!" Emily came bouncing down the stairs. She went behind the counter to pour herself a coffee oblivious to the tension between her two friends. "Isn't it a great day?"

"Why so happy, Em?" She asked hoping Lucky would let their discussion go now that Emily was here.

"Today is now one full week to go before Sorel's trial. That means it's one more week until Zander is free and we can be together. I talked to Alexis last night. She's taking good care of him at her penthouse. And Sonny is making sure that nothing happens to him." She swallowed her coffee in one gulp. "Lucky, I'm late for school. Could you give me a ride?"

He looked liked he would say no then relented. "Sure, no problem." With one last look at Elizabeth he followed Emily out the restaurant.

Elizabeth breathed a deep sigh in relief. Nothing she said these days was right to Lucky. It seemed every time she opened her mouth he didn't like what she'd meant and they'd argue. Maybe she was wrong about telling him about Deception. Maybe she wouldn't have too. If Gia was her competition, she knew she wouldn't win. As much as she disliked Gia, she could deny that Gia was beautiful. She was not only beautiful but exotic something Elizabeth could never be. Laura would have to see that Gia was the better person and then Lucky would have to go along with it. Her anxiety began to lesson and she was able to enjoy the rest of her shift.

The first thing she saw was his bare chest. Jason was holding a towel in his hands. He must have just finished cleaning up.

"Hey, I guess you're alone?"

"Yeah, --- yeah, I'm sorry. I, uh, I brought you something to eat," she told him holding up the bag from Kelly's. He stood motionless like in a trance staring at the bag. "I, uh, figured you'd be hungry."

He seemed to snap out of his trance. He dropped the towel and grabbed a shirt lying on the table. "Yeah, yeah, thanks. This is great. I really appreciate it." He took the bag from her and placed it on the table. Without looking at her, he took out the sandwich and coffee from the bag.

Elizabeth moved to the outside of the table and put her coat behind the chair there. She took a deep breath. He seemed to be just as uncomfortable as she was. She didn't think he'd be upset that she saw his naked chest. She took care of him when he was shot. She's seen his chest before. So why was he uncomfortable? Did he suspect something? No, he couldn't. Jason couldn't read minds, but he could read her. Maybe he was uncomfortable because she was uncomfortable. She needed to think about something else.

"So, I, ah, guess I shouldn't ask about your meeting with Sonny yesterday." At his stoic expression she continued, "I figured. You don't tell me anything dangerous anyway. So it must be dangerous, but I won't push. I don't want to become someone you're mute around."

For the first time since she walked in he looked at her. "I am not a mute," he said a little insulted.

The uncomfortable feeling was gone. "Oh, please, Jason! When you get around someone you don't like, or people start asking you questions you don' want to answer, you become this human of block of concrete. Actually, frozen concrete, because not only are you silent, you're cold." She tried to make the face he did when he was talking to Taggert or his father.

He laughed at her attempt. "Oh, okay. You see, I realized if you keep quiet, the other person does all the work. They show you what they care about, what they're afraid of, plus they get tired and go away a lot sooner."

She laughed, "I wish that worked for me."

"What, make people leave you alone?" He stopped smiling and became serious.

"No! Maybe, I guess. I could turn it on when Lucky starts pushing me about this modelling thing." He didn't say anything. She knew what he was thinking. "I know you told me to tell him how I felt. And you're right. When I left yesterday, I was going to tell him. But when I got to Kelly's he was asleep. I figured one more day wouldn't hurt." He still said nothing. He just looked at her. It wasn't his menacing stare or his blank stare. He just seemed to be waiting for her. "You know it doesn't matter anyway. Lucky told me this morning that Carly and Laura are looking at another girl. They'll probably pick her."

He sighed and looked away. He was disappointed. He knew he didn't have a right to be, but he was. He wanted her to stand up to Lucky. He wanted her to fight for what she wanted like she'd done before. "I thought you said Laura was determined for you to have the job?"

"Yeah, I know, but then Carly found out and you can imagine what she thought of the idea." She checked to see his reaction to Carly's name. He didn't seem phased. "So Carly went out to get her own candidate, Gia Campbell, partly to spite me and partly to show up Laura."

"Gia Campbell? Didn't she…"

"Spend the entire summer blackmailing Emily?" She finished his question. "Yeah, and now she's somehow schmoozed her way into Nikolas' life. They're living together. Every time I see them together, I want to grab him and say, 'Are you crazy?'" 

"Why would Nikolas listen to you about who he wants to be with?"

She was shocked, "Wait, did I just hear that correctly? Are you defending Nikolas?" He had never been Jason's favourite person. He didn't like how Nikolas constantly tried to tell her what to do and who she should be friends with.

He shrugged, "No, I just – I just think people should do what they want to do."

What he said angered her. She moved away from the table and began picking up blank canvases off the floor. She turned to look at him. "You say that, but you don't," she accused. "Carly and Sonny are living in the penthouse with Michael. They have each other while you're stuck in this place. That can't be what you want."

He was silent for a long time. She was beginning to think he wouldn't respond. My big mouth, she thought, what was I thinking? Why did I bring up Carly? "Look, forget I said anything, okay. I'm stupid. I shouldn't have brought up Carly. I know it must hurt you to think about her."

He gave her a surprised look, "How do you know?"

She blushed, "I know we've never really talked about Carly and Sonny. Last summer you came for their wedding. You said it was the right thing, but I know it couldn't have been for you. She was your girlfriend, Jason. You loved her. It must be hard for you to see them so happy together." She wanted to change the subject. She didn't want to cause Jason any pain.

Jason could see what she was thinking. He'd never told her about the time he was shot, but he guessed she must have figured it out by now. He could just imagine what story her mind had conjured up about betrayed Jason pining over Carly and Sonny. He didn't like talking abut himself but he also didn't want Elizabeth thinking he was still carrying a thing for Carly. "I do love Carly." He saw she was ready to respond. He continued before she could say anything. "But not the way you think. Carly and I would never have worked. I mean, sometimes the thing you had, no matter how good it seemed, isn't right for you anymore. Carly and I are better friends than anything else. She and Sonny are where they belong. They're happy together."

She hesitated, "What about you, Jason? Where do you belong? What will make you happy?"

What could he say? I'm happy right here. No, that would just make her uncomfortable. If she knew, would she feel right coming around and being his friend? He would rather have her as a friend than being shut out of her life. He knew she would do that. She would be noble and stop coming to him to talk and Lucky or anything that was troubling her. She wouldn't think it was right for him. "It doesn't matter."

She went to him and reached for his hands. "It does matter. You deserve to be happy." 

"Why is it important to you?" he asked. She was close enough he could smell her perfume. It wasn't the same as what she wore last winter. He wondered why she changed it. The new one didn't suit her. It was too fragrant, too sweet-smelling. He figured it must be something from Lucky. He didn't think she would have bought it herself.

"Because, Jason, you're my friend and I want you to be happy. Just like I am." She gripped his hands again as if her life depended on his happiness. She scanned his face to see if what she was saying was getting through to him. Her eyes drifted to his lips and a chill ran down her back. She realized just how close they were. She released his hands and hurried back to where she had placed the canvases. Without looking back to him, she picked up an empty frame and began stapling the canvas to it.

Jason didn't know how to react to her quick change. Something wasn't right with her. He'd noticed it when she entered the studio and saw him naked. He didn't understand why she was uncomfortable. She'd seen him like that before and wasn't uncomfortable so why today. Now it seems she was uneasy standing beside him. Did he do something?

"Ah – ouch!"

He looked back to her. She was holding one hand in the other, "What happened?"

"I was stretching the canvas to put over the frame and I think I got a splinter."

"Let me see." He reached out to take her hand.

She pulled her hands away before he could touch them. "No! It's okay. I got it." She gripped her hand and tried to remove the splinter with her fingers. "Ow. It's in deep."

He reached for her hand again, "Elizabeth, let me help."

She pulled her hand away again, "Jason, I can do it."

He watched her struggle to remove the splinter unsuccessfully. He knew her. He wouldn't push. She would ask for help when she was ready. So he waited.

She stopped and looked up at him. "Okay, I need you to do it," she told him sheepishly.

"Okay, you need my help. Are you sure?" he said with a smirk.

"Don't be a smart ass," she replied holding her hand out to him. "Please."

He took her hand and led her to the chair to sit down. "All right. Let's see here." He got down on one knee and inspected her finger. He looked around. When he saw the first aid kit, he released her hand to retrieve it. "Okay, I want you to yell if it hurts. Okay? Hold on." He dug out a needle from the kit and placed it on her finger.

"Okay, it hurts," she yelled resisting the urge to pull her hand away.

"Okay, Okay, sit tight. I almost got it." He tried to hurt her as little as possible. He just needed a few more seconds and he would have it. "Almost got it."

"Okay, okay, okay." She turned her head away so she wouldn't have to watch.

"There it is," he said. "You can look now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he grabbed a disinfectant wipe and rubbed it on her finger. He looked up as he gently blew on her finger to remove the excess moisture.

She opened her eyes and looked down. Her stomach jumped nervously. "Ah – Thank you." He released her hand but neither moved. "Um, I, uh, I should go." She stood and picked up her coat. "Lucky's probably waiting for me at Kelly's." At the door, she turned, "I'll come by tomorrow, okay."

"Yeah, okay," he sighed as she left the studio. He needed to leave. He didn't know how much longer he could stay there and have her around him. He thought it would be over by now. After he followed Martinez, he figured he would lead him to the others involved, but so far nothing. He knew there was someone more higher up the organization helping Sorel. He just couldn't find him. He would follow Martinez again. He sighed. The sooner he could resolve this the sooner he could leave the studio and Elizabeth.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

By the time Elizabeth reached Kelly's, she'd convinced herself that her feelings for Jason were nothing but sleep deprivation. Since Laura brought the modelling issue to her, she'd slept very little. She was tired. Her emotions were so tangled up; she didn't know what she was feeling.

She was nervous and anxious about being a model. She remembered the first photo shoot. She'd jumped at every flash. Even with Lucky taking the pictures, she couldn't relax. All she kept seeing was his hand covering her mouth and feeling his heavy breath as he was on top of her. She couldn't get his face out of her mind.

She wished Lucky would see her discomfort. He didn't even seem to care that the anniversary was coming up. All he wanted was for them to be together. She couldn't understand why he was pushing so hard. They were together. And they would be together regardless of if they worked together or not.

She wished she could just tell him what she felt. Why did she keep putting it off? Why couldn't she stand up to him? Was she afraid of him? No! She wasn't afraid of Lucky. That would be ridiculous. Lucky was her soul mate. Lucky would never hurt her. The man she was going to spend the rest off her life with. He had returned from the dead for her. They were destined to be together. So why are you lying to him? I don't want to hurt him, she thought. He has been through enough. She didn't want to add to it. She wanted to support him. To make him happy. Even if you're not happy? Yes, even if she wasn't happy. That's what love was all about, wasn't it?

She thought of Jason. He had given up Carly and Michael so that they could be happy. He might say it was for the best now, but at the time, she knew it had hurt him a lot. She could be a model to make Lucky happy. She could. It was a small sacrifice to make to build a future with the man she loved. Would Jason agree with you? Yes, he would. Jason would support her decision. He never told her what do to. He respected her and her decisions.

She thought back to the studio. She was tired. She wasn't really having feelings for Jason. Not in that way. Jason was her friend. Since his return, he had become her lifeline. The person she could go to and be herself. She didn't want that relationship to change. It couldn't. She didn't know how she would get through being the Face of Deception without him. But she was also hurting Lucky by keeping Jason's secret.

She needed to stop lying to Lucky. As much as she didn't want to disappoint Jason, she couldn't lie to Lucky anymore. For now on she was going to put her full effort into becoming the next Face of Deception. She would stop lying about her painting. She would put all her being into doing everything she could to make Lucky happy. The first thing was to tell Jason he couldn't stay at the studio anymore. It wasn't fair to keep Jason's secret from Lucky any longer.

"Elizabeth?"

She looked up and realized she was outside of Kelly's. How long has she been here? She turned in the direction of the voice. Lucky was coming from the opposite direction carrying a white rose.

"Lucky, hi."

"I glad you're here," he said handing her the rose. "I'm sorry about this morning. You were right. You are going to get the job because you are the most beautiful girl in the world and you deserve it. Gia doesn't hold a candle to you."

She blushed as she accepted the rose. "Thank you, Lucky. I knew you would do anything to jeopardize your mother's company. You're not that type of person. You're not like Gia and Carly. You're better than that."

He took her in his arms. "You make me a better person. Without you I don't know what I would be."

She smiled, "You would be Lucky, the same man I love."

"No, Elizabeth, every good part of me is because of you. I wouldn't be half the man without you. I love you." He leaned in and kissed her. 

"I love you, too."

He laced his fingers through hers and turned in the direction he came from. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

He looked back and flashed the smile she had fallen in love with. "You'll see," he replied. At that moment he looked just like he did before the fire. She knew she had made the right decision. She just needed to tell Jason.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Elizabeth stood hesitantly in front of her door. Yesterday she'd surprised Jason when she entered the studio, and she didn't want the same thing to happen today. She needed to be completely focussed when she told Jason about her decision. If he was naked or even half naked she didn't think she could keep her mind on what she needed to do. She made a big play of jingling her keys and slowly opened the door. Again Jason was doing something she didn't expect. "What is going on?"

Jason looked up from his seat on the couch. He looked guilty and a little embarrassed. Around him were newly stretched canvases and in his hands was a frame he had just begun. "Well, I'm just trying to keep you from getting another splinter."

She stared at him, dumbstruck. He looked so unsure. Sometimes it was hard for her to put the two Jason Morgans she knew together. One Jason Morgan was sweet and thoughtful. He listened when others didn't want to. He was loyal and allowed the people he cared about to make their own decisions. The other Jason Morgan was hard and unfeeling. He was a mob enforcer.

They had never talked about it but she knew he had killed people. She didn't know how many but knew his name was feared. She remembered when Sorel had approached her and Jason's quick action. How could someone who has killed people still be innocence? More importantly, why didn't she seem to care about what he did for a living?

"Jason, you didn't have to do that," she said as she inspected his work. She looked back to him, "These are perfect. How did you learn to do that?"

He shrugged, "I don't see what's so hard about using a staple gun."

"Well, yeah, but the frames can shift, the canvases can get pulled out of line or buckle." She continued inspecting the rest of the canvases. "Thank you, Jason. These are all great. If you ever need a job, just let me know."

"Just call me when you need more, I'll be happy to do it."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. That's my job. It's part of being an artist."

"Splinters, remember."

She looked around at the canvases. She felt inspired to paint. She could feel her fingers itching to hold a brush. "Do you mind if a paint?"

"Elizabeth, this is your studio. You don't have to ask. Do you mind that I'm here? I could go out for a while."

"What! No, you can't go out. Someone could see you. No, no, stay. I don't mind," she smiled. "It'll be like before." She turned to collect her brushes and paint.

Jason settled quietly on the couch and grabbed a travel book from his bag. She didn't even know he was there anymore. He could tell. When she painted, she was oblivious to the rest of the world. He remembered the Christmas he stayed there. She could be so concentrated on her painting that he thought an earthquake could strike and she wouldn't feel it. He liked that she was that comfortable with him. She had complete trust in him to see her at her most vulnerable and yet most powerful. She radiated joy. He knew she loved painting and that it was what she was meant to do.

Elizabeth was in her own world. Only she, her easel and her brush existed. She knew that Jason was in the studio but she didn't know what he was doing. She couldn't think about anything but the image trying to form on the canvas. She didn't know what she was painting. That was something knew for her. Until now most of her painting were planned. She knew what she wanted, and she set out to create it. But since her dry spell, it had changed. Now it seemed the canvas spoke to her. It told her what it wanted to be not the other way around.

She felt like she was evolving as a painter and it was all because of Jason. Ever since Jason returned her painting had gone to another level. She couldn't believe it was only a few days ago that she thought she would never paint again. Now she seemed possessed. Without even doing anything, Jason had given her the strength and passion back to her painting. Jason was always the one person who believed in her and what she could do. The old Lucky had been that way. But now he was so preoccupied with his own dreams that he didn't seem to really see her anymore. He treated her art like a hobby rather than her vocation. It was more than that; it was her life. _Then why are you giving it up for him?_ I'm not giving it up, she thought. I'm just adding another dimension to my life. It was the right thing to do to make Lucky happy.

She caught Jason looking at her from the corner of her eye. "What? Was I singing?" She laughed.

"I'm glad you're painting again," he said quietly.

She heard the question even though he didn't ask it. She glanced back to the painting before putting her brush down. "I know you knew I wasn't painting. I just wasn't ready to talk about it before." She grabbed a rag and wiped her hands as she sat beside him. "Before you came I had this block. I couldn't paint. I didn't know why. It was hard for me. Lucky and I were back together but I wasn't painting. I think I was trying too hard. I wanted everything to be perfect and my painting suffered. I have you to thank for fixing the problem."

"What?" Jason was shocked. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did," she said insisted. "You didn't push. You knew I would talk to you when I was ready." Before he could reply she continued, "That morning was the first time I had painted something in a long time. When I arrived and you weren't there, I got so worried. I thought you were dead. I pictured you lying in the snow bleeding to death and I didn't know where to find you."

He reached for her hands, "Elizabeth, I'm sorry."

She pulled her hands away and stood, "It's not your fault, Jason. It was just my overactive imagination. I came to my senses when I saw that your stuff was in the closet. I knew you hadn't left me." She stopped. Did she just say that? "I mean the studio."

She turned away from him afraid to look at him, afraid to see his reaction. "I had all these emotions and I needed to release them. I stood in front of the canvas and for the first time in a long while, I just let myself be. I let myself feel. All my fear and worry flowed through me and onto the canvas."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her to face him. "I didn't mean to make you worried. If I knew letting me stay would cause you trouble, I wouldn't have come here."

She shook her head. "Jason, I'm glad you came to me. You are my friend. I would do anything for you. Besides, haven't you figured out by now, I will always worry about you. Even when you're not in Port Charles, I worry. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and wonder how you are and if you're in trouble. You mean a lot to me. You staying away doesn't change that."

He touched her cheek with his hand. "You mean a lot to me, too," he said softly his voice deep with emotion. He brought his other hand to her face and looked into her eyes.

She saw his unspoken question in his eyes. She knew he was going to kiss her and was looking for her answer. She should have said no. She should have turned away, but she did neither. Her mind didn't seem to have control over her body. As he leaned in to claim her lips, she felt a tingle of anticipation.

What was she doing? Elizabeth turned her head and stepped out of his embrace. "I'm sorry," she quickly grabbed her coat and reached the door. She was out the door before Jason could stop her.

He stood in the middle of the studio staring at the closed door. He wanted to chase after her, but couldn't. Not because people couldn't know he was back in town, but because of Elizabeth herself. He shouldn't have tried to kiss her. She loved Lucky not him – not the way he wanted. He needed to end this. He needed to leave the studio before anything else happened. He dug out this cell phone from his pocket and dialled.

"Sonny, we need a change of plans. I can't stay here anymore."

"Is there trouble?" Sonny questioned.

"No, I just need to leave. I shouldn't have come here and put this all on Elizabeth." He didn't want to say more. Sonny didn't need to know what had just happened or what could happen if he stayed.

Sonny was quiet for some time. Jason didn't know if he would push for an explanation or let it go. He hoped Sonny wouldn't pry anymore than he needed to. Sonny already knew too much about his feelings for Elizabeth. He didn't need to know about the mess he had of it.

"It's time to make a move on Sorel."

Jason sighed with relief, "When?"

"Tomorrow. Valentine's day seems appropriate. Sorel's trial is the next day. He'll want to try something before he gets convicted. I'll call a meeting at the warehouse. The traitor, whoever he is, will tell Sorel. It will be too good to pass up. A pre-emptive strike against me and everybody that works for me except my ex-lieutenant Jason who told me to go to hell and went to Italy. Sorel will never see you coming."

"Okay, that's good. I've got a clear line of sight to the warehouse. When he makes his move, I'll be here to take him out."

Elizabeth didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't stop. She had almost kissed Jason. More importantly, she had wanted to kiss Jason. What was she doing? She had gone there to tell Jason that he couldn't stay at the studio anymore and instead almost kissed him. What was going on? Jason was her friend, nothing more. She loved Lucky. He was who she wanted to be with, not Jason. She'd never even thought of Jason in that way. _Liar_, said a little voice inside her, _you kissed him remember_.

**Christmas 1999**

"I can't believe Nikolas!" Elizabeth slammed the door to her studio shut. She was so angry. "How dare he tell the whole hospital that we are sleeping together? Who appointed him my guardian?" She was so worked up she couldn't sit down. She just paced back and forth across the room. "He had no right. No right, I tell you," she said finally turning to look at Jason, who had removed his coat and was sitting on the couch. "Jason, how can you be so calm about this? Aren't you angry?"

"Elizabeth, getting angry won't change what's happened. I wish he had kept quiet but I can't control him just as he can't control you."

"Well, I'm still angry. Who the hell does he think he is? He can't tell me who I can and can't be with. He's not my father. Even my father can't tell me what to do. I am an adult. If I want to have sex with you that is my decision not his. If I want us to make out in the middle of General Hospital, he can't stop us. If I want to kiss you right now, I can because it is my life."

Before she knew what she was doing, Elizabeth had closed to distance between them and was kissing him. She hadn't meant for the kiss to be anything. She just wanted to prove to herself that she had control of her life. But as soon as her mouth touched his, her anger vanished. All thoughts of Nikolas left her mind. In fact her mind went blank. All she knew was that she was kissing Jason and he was kissing her back. The kiss deepened seemingly on its' own and the next she knew she was lying on the couch under Jason.

She pulled at his shirt and ran her hands across his chest. She didn't know what she was doing just that it felt good. After feeling nothing for so long, she was overcome with it. Her whole body seemed alive. Everywhere Jason touched tingled. Then it was gone. Jason was moving away from her. She grabbed his shoulders to pull him back.

He took hold of her hands and held them in front of her. "Wait, wait, Elizabeth, we have to stop."

Elizabeth didn't want to stop. She just wanted to feel. She wanted Jason to kiss her again. She wanted… She looked up at him. She could see the desire in his eyes. She could see he felt the same way she did. She could feel the desire running through her blood. Where had that come from? Had it always been there? He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity.

What Jason said finally registered. Reality entered her brain. Oh my God! What was she doing? She had wanted Jason to make love to her. She still wanted it. She could feel it. She wanted to give in to that desire. Even with Lucky, she had never felt this way. What did that mean? She moved quickly off the couch and as far away from Jason as possible.

"I'm sorry," she said. It was a whisper. What had she done? She had betrayed Lucky.

"Elizabeth," Jason's voice so calm. Elizabeth couldn't believe it. One second he was kissing her senseless and another second he looked like nothing had happened.

"Jason, this is all my fault. I kissed you. What was I thinking? I can't believe this happened." Elizabeth couldn't look at him. She began pacing the room again, thoughts of Lucky and Jason running through her head. Nikolas was right. Lucky was barely dead and she was having sex with Jason.

"Elizabeth," he called her name again. When she wouldn't turn in his direction, he moved to stop her. "Elizabeth, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay Jason. I'm a terrible person. All the things Nikolas and Carly said about me are true." Even though Jason had stopped her pacing, she still wouldn't look up at him.

Jason gently grabbed her chin with his hand and lifted her chin so she had to look him in the eye. "You haven't done anything wrong." When she would have spoken again, he stopped her. "Elizabeth, it was just a kiss. Nothing more. You haven't betrayed Lucky."

She looked into his eyes and knew that he was telling the truth. "I was crazy for a second. I was just so angry. I didn't mean for that to happen. I'm sorry I took advantage of you." She sounded so calm, but inside she was dying. She didn't know what was worse kissing Jason or the fact that she wanted to kiss him again. She couldn't handle that feeling. "Can we please just forget what I just did a minute ago? Can we call it a moment of insanity and say it will never happen again?"

He looked at her with an expression she'd never seen before. "Yeah, I think we can."

**Present**

She'd been right. It was a moment of insanity. For the both of them. She'd loved Lucky and she knew that Jason loved Carly. She was sure of it.

She remembered his reaction the day he arrived when she'd brought up her name. Carly had hurt him that Christmas. He never told her what had happened but when she'd heard that Carly was pregnant with Sonny's baby it didn't take much to figure it out. She could just image what it was like for Jason. The only thing she didn't know was if Jason found them before or after he got shot. It really didn't matter. Either way Jason was left bleeding in the snow betrayed by the two people closest to him.

That's all the kiss was. Her longing for Lucky to return and Jason's hurt over Carly. Nothing more. _Liar_, the voice called her again, _it was the beginning of something_. Maybe, maybe it was. If Jason hadn't left or Lucky hadn't returned, maybe there could have been something, she admitted to herself. But that didn't happen. Jason did leave and Lucky did return. She loved Lucky. She was with Lucky. She was meant to spend her life with Lucky. What almost happened in her studio was a mistake. She had been right yesterday. She needed to put her whole being to being with Lucky. She needed to forget what almost happened and tell Jason he couldn't stay at the studio anymore. She couldn't be with Lucky completely if she was keeping secrets about Jason from him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A feeling of déjà vu swept through her. She stood in front of her studio door just like she had this morning. It was the right thing to do, she reminded herself. She needed to tell Jason her decision, even if it hurt to turn him away. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She stopped at the threshold. Her mind couldn't seem to register what her eyes were seeing. Lucky was sitting on her couch fingering through Jason's travel book.

"Lucky, what are you doing here?" She put down the food she had brought Jason on the table.

"I came to see my best girl and see if I could steal her away from her painting," he came up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Gia's photo shoot went quicker than I thought, so I have the rest of the day to spend with you." He leaned down to kiss her.

When he tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled away and turned to close the door. She glanced at the closet door. She knew Jason was in there. She looked back to Lucky and gave a tentative smile.

"That's great," she said uneasily.

Lucky sensed her unease, "I know you're worried about Gia's shoot, but you shouldn't. You are ten times more beautiful than she is. There's no competition."

She smiled. She had forgotten all about the Face of Deception. "I'm not worried," she said, "I know Laura will choose the right person for the job."

"Good. Now how about we get out of here and spend the rest of the day in bed."

Her eyes went instantly to the closet door. Had he heard that? What was he thinking? Oh God, she hated this. She hated that she thought about Jason and what he was feeling when she should be thinking about Lucky.

"You know I would love to spend the rest of the day with you, but I need to finish this painting."

He turned to the painting on the easel. "I was looking at it when I came in. It's great, Elizabeth. Do you really need to finish it right now? It looks almost done. I'm sure you can do any finishing touches to it tomorrow."

"I'd like to finish it while the feelings are still fresh in my head."

For a moment he looked like he would argue and try to get her to change her mind, but he didn't. Instead he sat back on the couch and grabbed the travel book.

"Okay, I'll wait until you're done. I'll just sit here and read while you finish up," he said. "Hey, since when do you want to go to Greece?"

Her mind was blank. She couldn't figure out how to get out of this situation without getting into a fight with Lucky or revealing Jason's presence. She went through the motions of gathering up her brushes and paint preparing to get to work. "What?" She asked. He held up the book to show her the cover. "Oh, yeah. Lucky you know I want to travel. Greece would be a wonderful place to go. After all those stories from Nikolas, I can't wait to see all the places he talked about."

"When you're the Face of Deception, we'll be travelling all over the world. You'll get to see all those places and more."

She smiled, "I can't wait." She turned back to the canvas, trying to think of a way to get Lucky to leave without getting into an argument.

Lucky was quiet for a minute and then began moving around the studio. He stopped by the canvases Jason had stretched that morning. "Did you stretch these canvases yourself?"

She sighed. Lucky couldn't seem to stay quiet. How was she suppose to work if he kept interrupting her? "Yeah, I'm going to need them."

"Wow. Well, you know, I could have helped you."

"Oh, well, doing it myself helps me think."

"Yeah, like music helps me. What do you listen to while you paint?" He went to her portable stereo and began looking through her CDs.

She put her brush down and abandoned the canvas. She wasn't going to get any work done. Lucky just wouldn't let her. He needed to have her full attention. "Anything. Whatever Nikolas gives me from L&B, or the radio." She reached for her coat, "Listen, why don't we go take a nice walk around the docks?"

Lucky ignored her. He put in the CD he found and turned to her. He took the coat found her hand and tossed it on the couch. Just as the music began he gathered her in his arms, "Why don't we dance instead?"

She was about to argue when she recognized the song. It was their song. Lucky pulled her tighter and they swayed to the music. Elizabeth tried to relax and let the song and Lucky's arms around her take over but all she could think about was Jason and another time she danced to this song. She remembered the feeling of being in his arms. She had felt safe and protected. Now she felt like she was betraying Jason with Lucky.

She knew Jason could hear the music. What was he feeling? Did he hate her? Did he feel she was destroying a moment that was special to them like she did? It was ironic. She had initiated the dance with Jason so she could feel close to Lucky and now that she was dancing with Lucky all she could think about was Jason.

Oh, God, she needed to end the song and get rid of Lucky. Get rid of Lucky? No she meant get rid of Jason. He had to leave so she could stop lying to Lucky. Then she could be with Lucky the way he wanted, the way he deserved. As the song neared the ending she pulled out of the embrace.

"That was wonderful," she said hoping he couldn't see the lie in her eyes, "but I really need to finish this and you're distracting me. A good distraction, but a distraction nonetheless."

"Elizabeth, you can finish this tomorrow," he whined, "I want to spend some time with you. Don't you want that too?"

"Of course, I do. I love you," she replied. "Just give me two hours, okay? I'll get this done, then I'm all yours."

"Okay," he sounded dejected like a boy whose favourite toy was broken. "But if you're not at Kelly's in two hours, I'm coming to get you."

She chuckled and opened the door, "Don't worry, I'll be there." She closed the door behind him and rested her head on it. It was quiet, then she heard Jason open the closet door.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe this is happening," she said softly as she turn and faced Jason. "Lucky thought he was alone with me. He would die if he found out you were listening."

"Why would he?"

"Because, Jason, he doesn't know about that night that you and I danced together and how I – how I pretended that it was him and it didn't work because it was really you and – he just – he wouldn't understand. He would feel betrayed."

"Hold on, Elizabeth, I didn't expect him to show up," he said defensively. He hated seeing her this way. She was hurting and he knew it was his fault for putting her in this position.

She covered her face with her hands, "Oh, God. How long was he here for?"

He shrugged, "A while."

"Oh. I am so sorry --," she stopped. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep lying to Lucky. I can't keep sending him away and apologizing to you because he came to see me. Lucky has the right to come to my studio. He has the right to be with me. I shouldn't have to feel guilty about it."

"Elizabeth." He moved closer.

She stopped him with a raised hand, "No, Jason, I can't. You have to go."

He stood with his arms at his side repeatedly clenching his fists. "I didn't mean for this to be so bad for you."

She gave a small smile, "I know you didn't. It's not you fault. It's mine and I have to make it right."

He brought his hand to his face and pinched his nose, "I need one more day. This will all be over in 24 hours."

She couldn't stop herself from wondering what he meant. She wanted to know what was going to happen to tomorrow, would it be dangerous, could he get hurt, but she didn't ask. She had to stop worrying about him. Jason was not her concern, Lucky was. She nodded, "Okay, one more day. Then you have to go."

He nodded. He looked around hesitantly, "You know, Sonny needs me here, so, you know, you don't have to come back until, you know, I'm gone."

She was speechless. It didn't sound like he meant just the studio. He was leaving, maybe for good. _You told him to go_. "Are you going to leave town again?"

"The less you know the better," he knew he sound cold, but he couldn't help it.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She knew she being wasn't fair, but it hurt. She didn't want to lose him completely. "Everything was so clear from the back of your motorcycle," she said quietly, "Cold, but perfectly clear. And nothing else mattered but going faster in the wind."

His face softened, "I like that picture."

She didn't know what to say. "I'm really sorry," she cried.

Jason reached for her and took her in his arms, "Hey, you don't have to apologized for how you feel."

For a second she savoured the feel of Jason's arms around her, then pushed away from him. "I've got to get going," she said picking up her coat.

He stopped her before she could leave. "I just want to thank you for letting me stay."

She gave a sad smile. "You're welcome," she said and left the studio.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jason fitted the rifle butt to his shoulder and positioned the two-legged support stand on the windowsill. He peered through the telescopic sight to the warehouse below. The .308 high-powered rifle felt comfortable in his arms. It had been a while since he had held one, but his body had not forgotten the familiar weight. He focussed the sight on a worker standing by the entrance of the warehouse. Soon Sorel would be standing there for his meeting with Sonny. When he made his move, Jason would be ready to take him out. Others might worry about the distance, but not Jason. He knew the range of the rifle and he knew his skill. He regarded his accuracy as a given. This was what he did, a part of who he was. When he was sure of his target, he loaded a round into the chamber. He was ready. Now he just had to wait.

He lowered the rifle to the ground and peered out the window with his arms crossed. Soon it would be over, and he would leave the studio. He thought of Elizabeth. When this was done, he would leave Port Charles, maybe for good this time. He was causing problems for her and he didn't want that. He didn't want Elizabeth to hurt because of him. He had come to her, he admitted, not only for a place to stay, but to see how she was, to see if she was happy with Lucky.

He shook his head. If she had been happy with Lucky this wouldn't be so hard. He would have done his job and left without any problem. But she wasn't happy with Lucky. He could see that on the first day. Lucky was possessive and controlling. Elizabeth couldn't see it but she was trying to change who she was to fit Lucky's needs. Anger flowed through him. He wanted to hit Lucky and make him see what he was doing to her. But he couldn't and wouldn't. Elizabeth needed to fight her own battles. She needed to stand up for herself, just like she had done that long ago Christmas. She needed to know that she was strong enough to make her own decisions. He just didn't know if he could stay here and watch Elizabeth find herself with Lucky. It would be too much. He sighed and moved away from the window just as there was a knock on the door.

The door opened to reveal Elizabeth. "Hey, it's just me." _ What am I doing here?_ Elizabeth asked herself outside her studio. She shouldn't be here. It was Valentine's Day. She should be with Lucky exchanging gifts, but instead she was standing outside her studio. Lucky didn't even know she was here. She had left before Lucky woke and had walked around Port Charles thinking about her life. Without realising it she had ended up here again. She couldn't seem to stay away.

Jason was shocked to see her. He glanced down to the rifle sure that she couldn't see it. "Oh, man. I thought, - I thought you were going to stay clear until I left tonight," he said.

"I knew you would be hungry, so I brought you lunch," she said as she walked passed him and place the bag she was carrying onto the table. This was a bad idea. She shouldn't have come, but she didn't want to leave either.

"I would have been fine." He told her feeling many conflicting emotions all at once. The meeting would be starting soon, he needed to be ready, but he was also happy that she came to see him. He didn't think he would see her again.

"All right, then, I did it for me. If I had to think of you sitting here starving to death, my whole day would have been shot." Don't tell me to go, she said silently.

"It's not your problem, but thank you." He wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to spend another few minutes with her. They could talk then he would get her to leave.

"Jason, I wish I could do more for you, but I can't go on keeping a secret from Lucky."

He sighed. He wanted to talk but not about Lucky. Jason turned toward to window again. "After today, it won't be a problem."

"What is so fascinating out that window?" Elizabeth moved toward him and looked down to see what he was looking at. She didn't notice the rifle by his feet. "There's Sonny going to the warehouse. So that's the reason you wanted to stay here – because it has a good view of the warehouse."

"That was one of the reasons," he said, a little uncomfortable with Elizabeth being so close to him. "When I knew I'd have to keep out of sight, I thought of you and this place. I knew I could trust you, but I didn't think enough about you and how tough this would be." On you and me, he thought.

"Would you not thank me again?" Elizabeth walked back to the bag from Kelly's. She dug her hand into the bag and pulled something out. She looked back at him hesitantly, "I brought you a present. It's fudge. My version of Tammy's recipe." She handed the fudge over to Jason. "Happy Valentine's Day."

He toke the fudge from her but didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected anything from her. "Thank you. You know, I don't have anything for you."

"Oh, no, it's --," she didn't need anything from him. She felt guilty enough making him leave.

"No, no, no, wait a minute. I do." He turned around searching for his bang. He remembered the glass. He had seen it in Italy one day and without thinking had bought it. He didn't know what had possessed him.

"Jason, you don't … have to give me anything." Elizabeth was getting a little uncomfortable herself. She didn't know why she had decided to give Jason the fudge. Valentine's Day wasn't even one of her favourite holidays. She just didn't like to think of him being in the studio alone on Valentine's Day. She should be with Lucky and give him his present, but she couldn't seem to get Jason out of her head.

"No, when I went to Italy, okay, I saw these glass blowers, and they made all kinds of stuff." What was he doing? He should have just taken the fudge. "Some of it was pretty junky – lots of gold and paint all over. But the colour of the glass was so intense; I brought back a piece to remind me. Look it's – it's kind of like a stained glass window at a church."

Taking the glass from his hand, Elizabeth was shocked. "What an incredible red. Jason, you keep this. It's important to you."

"It's not a ruby. It's a hunk of glass. Take it," he insisted. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

They moved to the window and Jason raised her arm to allow the light to pass through the glass. "Yeah. There, you kind of – you really need to take it outside to see the – to see the light coming through. And I'd go with you if I could." He looked down at her uncertainly.

"It's perfect here." She looked up at him.

They stayed that way for a few moments until Jason dropped his hand and moved away. It felt good to have her in his arms. Too good. Elizabeth was with Lucky and the sooner he remembered that, the better it would be - for him and her.

Elizabeth turned towards Jason. She had felt something a moment ago. Had he? Was that why he had walked away? It was the same thing she had felt when she'd kissed Jason that Christmas and when she thought Jason was going to kiss her yesterday.

"Do you ever think about what happened that Christmas?" Elizabeth asked quietly. What was she doing? She'd promised herself she wouldn't bring it up. She didn't want to have this discussion. _Then why did you ask?_ She wasn't sure, but now that it was out she nervously waited for his answer.

Jason wondered where that had come from. How had she gone from Valentine's Day to Christmas? He looked in her eyes and knew she was thinking about the kiss. "All the time," he replied.

For a split second, Elizabeth could feel Jason's lips on hers. It had been over a year ago, but it felt like it just happened. "I know I asked you to forget about the kiss, but I never did. I'd told you it was a mistake, but when you left I thought about it a lot. You showed me that I could feel desire. After the rape, I wasn't sure if I would ever want a man. I was comfortable with Lucky. I had known him before it happened. When Lucky died, I thought I would never meet another man that I could feel that comfortable with to let him touch me. But you showed me that I was over the rape. That I could feel that desire."

Jason tried to hide his disappointment. "I'm glad I was able to help you." To him the kiss was the turning point in his life. He realized that Elizabeth had meant more to him than any other person in his life. At the time, he hadn't been ready to deal with that information but now he knew that he had fallen in love with her. Somewhere deep inside he had hoped that she had felt the same way. It was stupid, especially when Lucky had returned. He knew how much she loved Lucky. But he couldn't stop the hope from lurking inside him.

"Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn't stopped?"

Jason was shocked. He couldn't speak. He just looked at her. What did she want him to say? If they hadn't stopped, he would have ripped off her clothes and they would have ended up having sex on her couch. He was sure of it. That's what he had wanted to do. As soon as her lips touched his, every other thought but her had left his mind. A desire he hadn't even known about had taken over. Does she want to know that? Does she want to know how he felt and still feels? She was with Lucky now. Why was she bringing up something that didn't happen and wasn't going to happen?

Elizabeth was shocked. What was she doing? She could see that her question had bothered Jason. He was staring at her but hadn't said anything. What was he thinking? _No, the idea of having sex with you was too revolting to think about. I was only kissing you to make you feel better. I never really wanted you. _ Why had she brought up this subject? What was she even doing here? She should be with Lucky. This was Valentine's Day. The day you should spend with the person you love. Yet here she was with Jason, and she didn't know where Lucky was.

Jason still hadn't said anything. Oh my God! I think I going to die right this minute. Please, Jason, just say something, anything. I can't take this silence, she thought. "You know what, forget I mentioned it, okay. It was nothing. I don't even know why I asked. I think I'm going crazy, just ignored me." Elizabeth couldn't look at him. She turned around and started to clean up the brushes she had left on the easel last night.

"Elizabeth…. Elizabeth… Elizabeth," Jason tried to get her to stop but she moved quickly around him and walked to the table. Before she could run, again Jason grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. There was so much he wanted to say, but nothing came out. Instead he lowered his head and kissed her.

At first she just stood there, frozen in shock, but soon she was kissing him back. Just as before, the desire surged out of control. Without breaking apart, they walked toward the couch. Elizabeth began pushing Jason shirt above his torso and ran her hands over his muscular chest. She couldn't think. All she knew was that she wanted him. She had never felt like that before. Not even with Lucky. Not since that first time at Christmas.

Did the earth just move? Before she could answer that question, Jason had stopped kissing her and was moving toward the window.

"What was that?" She asked. She slowly pushed herself off the couch and moved toward him. Her mind was still cloudy. It took a moment to understand what she was seeing. The Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse was on fire. "What happened?'

"The warehouse exploded. Elizabeth, call 911. I have to get Sonny!" Without looking back, Jason ran out the studio.

Elizabeth rushed to the phone. "Hello, 911? The Corinthos-Morgan warehouse just exploded. There are people inside. Please, you've got to send help." Elizabeth returned to the window to see Jason run into the burning building. Oh my God! What if he got hurt? She didn't know how long she stood there staring out the window. All she knew was that he wasn't coming out. _Why wasn't he coming out?_ This couldn't be happening again. She had to go down there. She had to know that he would be okay. As she looked around for her jacket, she heard a knock at the door.

"Lucky!" What was he doing here?

"Hey."

"Hey. Did you see the fire?" She really didn't want to talk to him. All she could think about was Jason in the fire. "It's Sonny's warehouse. We have to go." She had found her jacket and was hastily putting it on.

"Hold on, hang on a second." He grabbed her arm as she tried to walk through the door. "My gosh, you're shaking. I'm sorry. Are you all right? I came running as soon a I heard the explosion and the sirens."

"I saw Sonny go into the warehouse." She desperately wanted to run, to find Jason and make sure he was okay.

"Yeah, but Elizabeth, the rescue teams are already there. I think he's going to be okay. I'm sure he's all right." He pulled her back into the studio and closed the door.

She needed to calm down. She couldn't let Lucky know that Jason was here. She sat back on the couch and finally noticed that Lucky was carrying flowers. "You brought me white roses."

"Hey, Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thank you." She took the flowers from him. "Uh, I left your present at Kelly's." She had to get down there. All she could think about was Jason running into the warehouse. "Can we just go down to the warehouse for a moment. I need to know that everyone is okay. Then we can go to Kelly's and have dinner. How does that sound?"

"Okay, let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Fire and medical personnel were everywhere. The warehouse was on fire and the firemen were trying diligently to put it out. The police had taped off the area around the warehouse stopping anyone except paramedics and firemen from going near the building. Elizabeth stood behind the tape frantically searching for Jason.

A second explosion hit. It was smaller than the first but its heat radiated from the warehouse hitting Elizabeth stinging her eyes. _Jason can't die_, she silently pleaded. _I need him too much_. She felt a hand on her back.

"Elizabeth, let's go. There's nothing we can do here."

She turned to look at Lucky. She had forgotten he was there. She couldn't leave. Before she could reply she saw a fireman walking near her. She touched his arm to get his attention. "Please, can you tell me if Sonny Corinthos has been found yet?"

The fire fighter looked down at her perspiration and smoke covered his face. "Not yet." He turned and walked away without looking back to her.

Elizabeth looked back towards the warehouse. Jason, please be okay. She felt so helpless. After Lucky, she had promised herself she would never feel like that again. But she did now. An odd sense of déjà vu rushed through her. She was standing outside a burning building waiting helplessly as a person she loved was fighting for his life. Only this time, it was worse. Jason had saved her when Lucky had died, who would save her when Jason died?

She heard shouting from the warehouse. "They're coming out!" She saw movement from the building's entrance. At first she didn't know what it was. There was too much smoke to make out who it was. She saw a figure walking through the smoke. He was moving slowly. He looked like he was dragging something. As the smoke cleared, she saw that it was Jason half carrying half dragging an unconscious Sonny. Jason released Sonny to the paramedics running toward them. He waved off the one trying to assess him. He wanted them to take care of Sonny.

Jason started coughing and bent forward, his hands resting on his knees. He looked up when he was able to catch his breath and stared straight into Elizabeth's eyes. She was standing next to Lucky with a bunch of white roses in her arms. Her face was devoid of anything. She stood like a statue. That worried him. He had never seen her like that before. With Lucky standing beside her, he didn't know if he should see if she was all right or just leave her. He wasn't even sure he had enough strength to go over there. He wanted her to come to him. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. He wanted to feel alive after almost dying and she was the only thing that really made him alive, but he knew she would never do that. She was with Lucky even now. Why was it so hard to remember that fact?

Elizabeth stood frozen looking at Jason. Her mind couldn't quite process what her eyes were seeing. _Jason was all right. He wasn't dead_. He was covered in dirt, sweat and smoke, but he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.

"Elizabeth, Sonny's going to be okay. Let's go to Kelly's." Lucky's voice seemed to be coming from a far off place rather than just next to her.

She looked at Sonny. The paramedics were placing him on a gurney. Carly was gripping his hand and touching his face. Tears were running down her face. Elizabeth hadn't even known Carly was there. Her whole being had been fully concentrated on Jason and him being okay she hadn't even seen Carly arrive. Jason! She looked back to the place where he was last. For a second she almost believed she hadn't seen him. That he hadn't come out of the building and had really died inside the warehouse. The panic rose deep inside her again. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, he was there. He hadn't moved from his position. He was still staring at her. She could see the need in his eyes. _He needs me_, she thought. He started to cough breaking their connection.

That seemed to snap her out of her frozen state. She moved to grab the police tape, dropping Lucky's flowers. She barely registered Lucky calling after her as she ran toward Jason. She ran into him almost knocking him down, her arms going around him.

"You're alive, you're alive!" she said desperately tears forming in her eyes. She tightened her hold as if she would never let go again. "I thought you were going to die."

"It's all right. It's all right." Jason's voice was husky and rough from the smoke. He held her for a second savouring the feel of her arms around him. As much as he wanted to hold her for the rest of his life, he saw Lucky approach and knew he had to let go.

He tried to remove her arms from around his neck, but she held on tighter. "Elizabeth." He tried again with a little more force. When she wouldn't move, he used all the strength he had left to push her away. He looked into her eyes. Placing a reassuring hand on her cheek and looking into her eyes, he said, "Elizabeth, I'm okay."

Before she could say anything, Lucky had caught up to her. "Elizabeth, what's going on?"

She turned to look at him. "Jason saved Sonny's life."

"I see that. I didn't know he was in town," he said with suspicion. "Did you?"

She quickly turned her head back to Jason. "No, I didn't. It was a shock seeing him coming out of the warehouse." The lie flowed easily out of her mouth.

Lucky looked at her trying to decide if she was telling the truth. Her reaction seemed to contradict what she had said. He knew at one time she and Jason were friends or at least that was what she said. Nicholas had hinted at more. Looking at her now, he wondered if Nicholas was right.

Paramedics coming for Jason interrupted Lucky's thoughts. He watched quietly as Jason refused to go to the hospital.

"Jason, you have to go to the hospital and make sure you're okay," she said forgetting about Lucky again.

"Elizabeth, I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital," he replied even as coughing overtook him again.

"You're not fine. Please, for me?"

He looked at her for a moment then at Lucky. He could see that Lucky was suspicious. He wanted to be here for Elizabeth when Lucky starting asking more questions. He looked back to her and saw the pleading in her eyes. She didn't just want him to go to the hospital to make sure he was all right; she also wanted him to get away from Lucky. She wanted to protect him from the questions she knew Lucky would ask. He didn't know what to do. He saw the determination in her eyes and knew he couldn't say no. With a shake of his head, he allowed the paramedics to walk him toward the ambulance.

It was only after Jason had been loaded into the ambulance and it had driven away did she turn back to Lucky. She saw the questions in his eyes. She knew she would have to answer them, but she didn't know if she could. She needed to calm herself. Her emotions were all over the place. She didn't like lying to Lucky but she also wanted to protect Jason.

"Can we talk about this at Kelly's please?" she asked before he could say anything.

He looked at her. He wanted to know what was going on. "Did you know Jason was in the warehouse? Is that why you wanted to come down here?"

"Sonny is my friend. I was concerned for him. When I saw Jason there, my concern went to him as well. They are my friends Lucky. I needed to make sure they were okay."

"They aren't your friends. They're dangerous. You shouldn't be associating with them."

"I'm not going to discuss this with you right now. Especially here," she waved her arms around. There were still standing outside the burning warehouse. Fire, police and medical personnel were working tirelessly around them trying to put the fire out and take care of the injured. She was surprised they hadn't been told to leave. "I'm going to Kelly's. You can come with me if you want." She turned and walked away without waiting for his reply.

As she walked to Kelly's, she couldn't get thoughts of the day out of her mind. She didn't know what was happening or how she felt about it. This morning she had woken fully intending to spend Valentine's Day with Lucky, the man she loved. Instead, she had kissed Jason and probably done more if the warehouse hadn't exploded. Then she had almost lost him. She could still feel the panic inside her. It scared her. It was so intense. She had never felt like that before. Even with Lucky. She hadn't thought it was possible. When Lucky had died, the pain had been so great she had wanted to die too. Just thinking that Jason was dead, Elizabeth had already felt dead. There was no pain, no hurt. There was nothing. With Lucky the nothingness came after the pain, after the crying. As she stood waiting to here that Jason was dead, she felt nothing. Her whole body had seemed to shut down. There was no pain, only emptiness. If Jason had died, she knew she couldn't have survived. When had Jason become such an integral part of her life?

"Elizabeth? Are you all right?"

She looked up to see Emily coming out of Kelly's. How did she get here?

"Elizabeth?" Emily was worried. Elizabeth looked dazed. Had something happened to Lucky? "Is it Lucky?"

"Lucky? No, it's Jason."

"Jason? What about Jason?" Emily demanded.

"You need to go to the hospital," Elizabeth told her best friend. "Jason's there. There was an explosion at the warehouse."

"What!" Emily took off before Elizabeth could say anything else.

Elizabeth made her way through Kelly's and up to her room. She saw Lucky's Valentine's present lying on her bed. As she sat down and ran her hand over the scrapbook, she started to cry.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Jason was sitting on a hospital bed in the ER of General Hospital wondering what he was doing there. If Elizabeth hadn't pleaded, he wouldn't have bothered. He was fine. It was Sonny he was worried about. His friend hadn't looked good when Jason had dragged him from the warehouse. He hoped Sonny wasn't seriously injured.

He was concerned about Elizabeth, too. He was worried about what Lucky would say or more importantly do. Jason didn't want her hurt and he didn't want to be the reason for that hurt.

"Jason?" He looked up to see Carly standing near the curtain. Her face was covered in tears. She walked closer to the bed and hugged him.

"Sonny?"

"He's unconscious. The doctors are with him now. What happened? Were you inside when the bomb went off? When did you get back? Today?" She didn't understand what was going on. Everything was perfect in her world this morning. Now her husband was fighting to live and her best friend was in town without telling her.

He didn't know which question to answer first or not at all. "No, I saw Sonny go inside and then the warehouse exploded and I ran in to get him."

She sat down next to him on the bed. "Did you just come back and had a meeting with him?"

"That's what I would like to know?"

They both looked up to see Lucky walking towards them. "When did you get into town?"

Carly was confused. "Why do you care?" she asked.

"Because he hasn't even been in Port Charles a day and he is already causing trouble for Elizabeth," Lucky said angrily. Elizabeth had walked away from him something she had never done that before. He knew it had something to do with Jason. Elizabeth only acted strangely when Jason was around.

Carly looked between the two men. "What does Elizabeth have to do with anything? Sonny and Jason's warehouse exploded. Where does that twit fit in with that?"

"Carly," Jason tried to stop her before she and Lucky started yelling at each other.

"What? Jason, you and Sonny almost died and all he can think about is little miss thing that's not even around."

"I know there is something going on between you and Elizabeth," Lucky said ignoring Carly. "I want you to know that I won't let it continue. You are not going to see her again. I don't want you and your kind anywhere near her."

When Jason remained quiet, Carly said, "I think you are losing your mind, Lucky. Jason only arrived today. How can there be something going on between him and Elizabeth."

"I don't care. Elizabeth doesn't need his kind of trouble around her. I want her to stay away from you. I don't want her to talk to you or to see you."

Jason couldn't keep quiet anymore. "You don't own her and you don't control her. She is her own person. If she wants to talk to me then she has every right talk to me."

That wasn't what Lucky wanted to hear. He didn't like Jason. He didn't want Jason associating with the woman he loved. "Elizabeth loves me. She'll do anything for me. If I don't want her to see you then she won't see you."

Carly was dumbfounded. She didn't know what amazed her more, Lucky's possessive attitude or Jason standing up for the twit. She had thought his little obsession with her was over. "Lucky, if that's the case then why are you here warning Jason? Maybe you're afraid that now that Jason is back Elizabeth will see you for the boy you are and that she should be with a real man like him."

"Carly," Jason said trying to stop her before she set Lucky off.

"What, Jason, you know I'm right. What woman wouldn't want you?"

Lucky had had enough. He pushed Carly aside and stood eye to eye with Jason. "You need to stay away from Elizabeth if you know what is good for you." Not waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.

"What just happened?"

Jason turned back to Carly. He didn't want to get into this with her. He was too tired and too dirty. He needed to go back to Elizabeth's studio before she and Lucky returned to it. He needed to collect his things and get his room set up over at Jake's.

"Nothing. Carly go back to Sonny. I have to go," he told her and walked out the examine room before she could protest.

He left the hospital and made his way back to the studio. The lights were out. Elizabeth wasn't there. He knew she would be with Lucky. As he opened the door his eyes went straight to her couch. He had kissed her. More importantly she had kissed him back. He wasn't sure what would have happened if the warehouse hadn't exploded. He had wanted it to happen but he wasn't sure about Elizabeth. Did she regret what they had done and would have done? He didn't understand regret. You couldn't go back and change what you had done so why spend the energy regretting that you did it.

Even if he wanted to feel sorry about their kiss, he couldn't. He had wanted to kiss her since their only kiss that Christmas. When he had returned last summer he had thought maybe they could have tried something. It had been year since Lucky had died and he thought that Elizabeth would have been more open to the idea than at Christmas. Neither of them had been ready to start something at Christmas. She hadn't been over Lucky and he had been confused about Carly and Sonny. But when he'd come back, Lucky had returned. Elizabeth had been more confused than before. Lucky was jerking her around and she was hurting too much. All he could do then was be there for her as a friend. He took her for rides and listened to her when she needed to talk. He could see she stilled loved Lucky and knew that even though they weren't together that sooner or later they would be getting back together. He was right, since they were together now.

He scanned the room making sure he had taken everything that was his. He didn't want anyone to find anything that belonged to him. He turned off the light, locked the door and headed for Jake's.

The loud bang from the door woke Elizabeth. She must have fallen asleep after crying for what seemed like hours. She rubbed her eyes trying to focus on who was at the door. Not that she didn't already know. Lucky stood in the open doorway. She didn't know if she could do this right now. She didn't know what she was feeling.

"Lucky," she said quickly.

"I don't want you to see him," he stated brutally walking into the room. "You are never to go near him again. Do you understand?"

She was shocked. She knew Lucky wouldn't like what had happened but she didn't expect the demand. "What? Who are you talking about?"

He looked at her like she had lost her mind, "Jason, that's who I'm talking about. I don't want you to be anywhere near him."

"Lucky, please calm down," she climbed off the bed.

"I've already told him to stay away from you and now I'm telling you. You cannot be friends with Jason."

She shook her head sure that the sleep was affecting her ears. Lucky didn't just order her to do something. "What do you mean you already told Jason?"

He shrugged a little impatient for her to agree, "I went to the hospital and told him to stay away from you."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You went to the hospital? The hospital!" Anger seeped through her. "Jason almost died and you were there bothering him. What were you thinking?"

It was Lucky's turn to be shocked. He hadn't expected her to be angry. "I was thinking that you are my girlfriend and that I don't want Jason in your life."

"You don't get a say in that, Lucky. Jason is my friend."

"He's not your friend. He wants you. I saw it in his eyes at the warehouse and I heard it in his voice at the hospital. You are never to see him again, do you understand."

"Lucky, I am not a child. You cannot tell me what to do. Jason is my friend and if I want to see him, I will." She couldn't believe Lucky was acting this way. She hadn't thought Lucky would ever try to control her.

"Fine, that's fine," he huffed, "if you want to be Jason Morgan slut, that's fine with me. After he's done with you, you can move on to Sonny. I know he can't wait to get a piece of your ass." He stormed out of the room before she could say anything.

Not that she could say anything if she wanted to. She just stood motionless staring at the closed door too stunned to move. Lucky's words kept echoing in her head. Slut, that's what he thought of her. A slut, not the love of his life not his soul mate but a slut. She fell to her knees as the tears began to flow again.

Her head whipped up when the door burst open again. Lucky marched in and dropped to his knees beside her and took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm saying. Please forgive me," he cried as he placed kisses all over her face. "I'm just so afraid of losing you. I can't lose you, Elizabeth. I can't live without you." He buried his face in the crook her neck. "I would die."

Elizabeth could feel his tears on her neck. "It's okay, Lucky. It's okay. I'm not leaving you. I love you."

He pulled away to hold her face in his hands. He smiled, "I knew you wouldn't let Jason get between us. I knew you'd see that Jason isn't worth destroying us. I love you." He leaned in the kissed her.

As he deepened the kiss, Elizabeth had no choice but to go with it. Had she just agreed to stop being friends with Jason? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that Lucky needed her and she wasn't going to disappoint him. He gently lowered her to the floor. She knew he needed this and even if she didn't want to, she couldn't tell him no.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The man doubled over in pain clutching his stomach.

"Tell me what I want to know and I can make this easier on you." Jason leaned down to grab Martinez's shoulders and shoved him against the wall.

"Mr. Morgan," Martinez panted trying to catch his breath, "I don't know anything."

He doubled over once more to Jason's reply. He fell to his knees in pain. Jason grabbed his head and pressed his face onto the cold concrete. "You're not listening to me. I know you work for Sorel. I know you were involved in the bombing of the warehouse. You will tell me everything I don't know or your family won't even have a little toe to place in your casket."

He continued his pressure until Martinez was sure his skull was going to crack. "It was Rick," he hissed.

Jason lowered his head so that he was even with Martinez's still applying his full weight to the skull. "What was that?"

Martinez could hear the blood rushing to his head, could hear his heart pounding in his ears. It was so loud, he could hardly hear the enforcer's question. "It was Rick," he said a little louder. If Jason didn't let up soon, he was sure his eyes would pop out of their sockets.

Jason continued until he was sure Martinez was close to passing out. He released him and allowed him to stand. Martinez swayed and reached for the alley wall for support. He sighed in relief until one word told him it wasn't over.

"Talk."

Martinez tried to focus on Jason, but his eyes were too blurry. "Rick came to me two months ago. He had a bag full of cash and told me that all I had to do was cause a few accidents at the warehouse, mess up a shipment here and there. Nothing big." He rubbed his eyes waiting for Jason's response. Jason remained motionless. He knew there was more.

"Rick told me to meet Roscoe. He wanted to know all the shipping schedules and he wanted me to plant drugs in an incoming shipment. The police would be notified and Sonny was going to get caught." Martinez began to shake with worry. Jason still hadn't moved. He face unchanged from the cold menacing stare. "I didn't bomb the warehouse. I swear. I was paid to plant the heroine. It was going to happen tomorrow. I was suppose to pick up the drugs from Roscoe tonight. I don't know why they changed the plans. That's all I know. I swear."

Martinez shifted from one foot to the other. He looked around the alley desperately searching for a way to escape, but he knew it was pointless. There was no way out. He was going to die in this alley. He didn't know what was worse, the brutal beating or standing there waiting to die. What was Morgan doing? Jason Morgan was sadistic, he thought. He enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering on others.

"Thank you," came from the still man.

Before Martinez could reply, he felt the bullets enter his torso. He fell back hitting the wall and slid to the ground. As the pain engulfed his body, his last image was of Sonny Corinthos' enforcer raising the gun to his head.

Jason stared down at the dead man. No one would know it, but he was shocked. Rick. Rick had betrayed them. Jason had trained Rick himself, had shown him the ropes when Sonny had brought him into the organization. Sonny had trusted Rick to guard Carly and Michael. Jason had trusted Rick to watch his back when they had dealing with their enemies. The angrier he felt, the calmer he became. He slowly removed the silencer and tucked his gun into his waistband of his jeans. He looked up and down the alley then stepped into the shadows and disappeared.

He stood outside of Kelly's wondering what he was doing there. It had been a long night and he was expecting an even longer day. Some time during the night Sonny had regained consciousness. Carly had left an excited message on his cell phone. Jason knew Sonny would be waiting for his report. He was ready to deal with Rick and Sorel. He just needed the word from Sonny.

Jason sighed. He was tired. He knew he should go to the hospital, but he couldn't. He just wanted to see her. He needed to know she was okay. He knew she didn't have the morning shift but hoped she might be having breakfast or something like that. He searched for her through the window, but she wasn't there. He turned to leave when he heard his name. He looked back just in time to see Emily race through the door and fling herself into his arms. She hit him so hard, he almost fell down taking her with him.

"Jason! I'm so glad you're all right," she wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go. "I was so scared. Elizabeth told me you were at the hospital, but when I got there, you had left. No one would tell me anything. All I knew was that there was a bombing at your warehouse."

Jason pried Emily's arms from around his neck and tried to quiet her. "Emily – Emily, I'm okay. I wasn't hurt. I wasn't in the warehouse when it exploded. I'm sorry you were worried."

Emily didn't look convinced, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied reassuringly.

She reached up to hug him again. When he thought he would have to force her off him, she stepped out of his arms and punched him. "Hey, what was that for?" he asked rubbing the spot she had hit.

"Where have you been?" She asked angry now that she wasn't worried about his safety. "You haven't called me in over two months. I had visions of you rotting away in some God forsaking South American jail with no way to contact Sonny."

He put his hands up to protect himself from another attack. "I'm sorry. I needed to do something for Sonny, and I didn't have access to a phone." He looked curiously at her. "Why? Did something happen? You know you just have to talk to Sonny."

"No, nothing happened, unless you call my parents sending me to boarding school and worrying about Zander and what Sorel might do nothing. But now that you're here, I know Zander will be okay. Sorel won't try anything with you around."

Jason smiled to himself. Soon Emily won't have to worry about Sorel ever again, he thought. He was going to make sure of it.

Emily grabbed his hand and pulled him to the Kelly's entrance. "Come on, I was just going to have some breakfast before school. Sit with me."

He was about to decline when he saw Elizabeth coming down the stairs. She stopped when she saw him. He stared at her while Emily sat and reached for the menu. He sat across from Emily never taking his eyes off Elizabeth. She looked unsure, like she didn't know what to do about him. It looked like she was about to turn around and go back upstairs when Emily called her over.

"Elizabeth, come and have breakfast with us," she said oblivious to the tension around her.

Elizabeth walked up to the table but didn't sit down, "Emily, I can't. I have class."

Emily frowned, "That's too bad. I guess I'll just have to wait to hear about your romantic Valentine's with Lucky."

Elizabeth gave a sad smile, "Yeah, I'll tell you all about it later." She looked uncomfortable as she shifted her gaze from Emily to Jason. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," he said, "Em, could you get me a coffee, black. I'll be right back." He stood and walked out the restaurant with Elizabeth following behind.

"Elizabeth," he began but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"I can't do this here. Lucky could come by and see us. I need to talk to you. Can we meet somewhere later?"

He nodded, "I'm staying at Jake's. You can meet me there tonight."

She nodded in agreement and walked away without another word leaving Jason standing by the entrance. Her eyes were cold, he thought. She was trying to mask her emotions from him, to hide what she was feeling, but he could still tell. He could see the hurt she was feeling. Maybe it was because he was feeling it too. He knew he wasn't going to like what she had to say. He could see she regretted what had happened. The realization cut his heart as easily as if he was stabbed.

"Jason?" He looked up to see Emily waiting for him by the door. After a final glance to her retreating form, he joined Emily in Kelly's and finished his coffee.

Jason had seen Sonny look better, but he was sure had never seen him look worse. His face was covered in cuts and bruises. His left arm was wrapped but didn't look broken. His eyes were closed making Jason wonder if Carly had been mistaken about Sonny regaining consciousness. Sonny opened his eyes at the sound of the door closing.

"Hey, man," he said sluggishly.

Jason walked closer to the bed and sat in the chair adjacent to it. "Sonny, how are you feeling?"

"I'm not dead," he grinned then winced when his face protested the movement. "You?"

Jason shrugged, "I'm good."

Sonny's face grew serious. "Tell me," he commanded.

"It was Rick. He's the one working for Sorel. He recruited Martinez to mess up some shipments." His voice was devoid of emotion even though inside his angered raged when he thought about Rick's betrayal.

"Who was it?"

"Rick. Martinez was ordered to hide a bag full of heroine in today's shipment for the police to find. He didn't know anything about the bomb yesterday."

Sonny sighed, "Sorel must have changed his plans when he knew I'd be at the warehouse for the meeting. I guess he figured since shooting me didn't work the last time, he would raise the stakes."

Jason didn't comment. He waited for the order he knew Sonny would give.

"Where is he now?"

"At the warehouse with the others."

Sonny was quiet for a minute then ordered, "Get Johnny to take him to the safe house outside of town and keep him there. I want to talk to him myself. I want you to make my little problem go away."

Jason nodded and got up to leave. Sonny stopped him at the door. "Jason, -- thank you." Jason nodded again and walked out the hospital room.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Jason sat at a table at Jake's nursing a beer. He'd been there for thirty minutes, but was still on his first drink. Make that his first and last drink. He needed to be alert for later that night when he took out Sorel. After leaving Sonny, he'd gone to the courthouse to hear the opening statements of Sorel's murder trial. District Attorney Dara Jensen surprised the courtroom by requesting Sorel be charged in relation to the recent bombing to the Corinthos-Morgan warehouse. Sorel's attorney objected arguing the incident was not connected to the crime his client was on trial for and therefore irrelevant. The judge agreed and suggested the DA deal with one crime at a time.

The DA then pushed for the court to reconsider the situation of bail. She wanted Sorel's bail revoked and Sorel remanded into custody. She stressed it was for Sorel's protection. She was afraid Sorel might not live to the completion of the trial. The judge declined the request and ordered the opening statements to begin. Jason sat quietly in the back and surveyed the courtroom as the two attorneys outlined their respective cases. Only two bodyguards sat behind Sorel. Jason didn't consider them a threat. Not that he would take Sorel out in public. No he would wait until night to do the job. Jason knew Sorel only kept a small number of guards around him during the day, however at night his house was fully protected making the hit difficult but not impossible.

After the court adjourned for the day, Jason made a couple of stops to pick up certain items he would need before returning to Jake's. Everything was ready, he thought glancing at his watch. In three hours, the Sorel problem would be over.

"Jason, hi," he looked up to see Elizabeth walking slowly to his table.

He stood, "Hi."

She stopped in front of him and looked cautiously around. She's nervous, he thought. He waved to the chair across from him and sat. She looked around again and sat down. She fiddled with a coaster on the table still not really looking at him. He didn't want to push. He knew she would say what she wanted to say when she was ready.

"I just wanted you to know I didn't tell Lucky anything. All he knows is that I saw you at the warehouse. He doesn't suspect anything." She fidgeted in the chair.

He heard the lie but didn't call her on it. He could only image what Lucky thought. He squeezed his fist under the table. He wanted to knock some brains into Lucky. How could he love Elizabeth the way he says and treat her like a possession? "Okay."

She leaned closer and whispered, "If Lucky ever finds out you stayed at my studio…"

"He won't unless we tell him," he interrupted before finishing his beer.

She nodded, "You make everything so simple."

He shrugged, "It is sometimes."

She gave a worried smile, "Just not at the moment."

He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know how to make this easier for her. He certainly didn't want to make her life any more difficult. He watched her fidget again then start nibbling on the stale pretzels on the table. "Are you hungry?"

She dropped the pretzel, "Oh, no. The food here is dreadful."

"Okay," he said. He hated that she felt uncomfortable around him. He'd never wanted that. For a second he almost wished he hadn't kissed her yesterday. As much as he didn't regret kissing her if he knew their friendship would change, he might not have done it. When he couldn't take the silence anymore, he asked, "Do you want to go for a ride?"

She smiled and her eyes met his for the first time, "I thought you'd never ask."

Jason brought the bike to a stop and waited for Elizabeth to climb off. He killed the engine and sung his leg over to stand next to her.

She removed her helmet and looked around, "Where are we?"

He placed the helmet on the seat and looked down the road, "On a road to no where."

"That's poetic."

He turned to her, "No, no, I mean it." He pointed down the road. "There used to be a house out here, but it burned down a long time ago and the owners turned the property over to the state. All that's left is this road and that bridge over the gorge."

"Do you know where the house was?"

"Yeah, but they must have bulldozed the foundation or something. You can tell that the place was big, and a lot of gardens, a couple of old benches and some statues they didn't take out."

"What kind of statues?" She stepped closer and searched the horizon trying to see anything she could.

Jason rubbed his eyebrow, "Wow, uh, one's a girl, she's holding something and the other one's a horse."

She turned back to him, "Will you show me?"

He shifted awkwardly, "Uh, you know, I don't, I don't think I'd be able to find them in the dark. I'll bring you out some afternoon. We can look around."

"It was a mistake, Jason." She couldn't believe she had blurted it out like that. Since this morning when she saw him at Kelly's, it was all she could think about. Never, in all the versions she'd gone through, did she imagine the discussion would begin with polite chitchat about statues in an abandoned estate. She didn't know Jason could chitchat.

He sighed, "Elizabeth, …"

"It shouldn't have happened," she cried and moved away from him. "I love Lucky. He is who I want to be with." She turned back to him, "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," he didn't want her to take all the blame. He was the one who had kissed her.

"Yes, it is. I came to the studio when I said I wasn't going to. I brought up Christmas and our first kiss." She covered her face with her hands, "God, I even asked you what would have happened if we hadn't stopped."

"But I was the one who kissed you," he stated.

"I practically begged you, Jason. I did everything but rip my clothes off and tell you to take me."

"It wasn't like that."

She laughed, "Yeah? What was it like? Because that's pretty much how I remember it." When he didn't reply, she knew he agreed with her. "See, you can't even argue with me. If Lucky ever found out we kissed, I …"

"Who would tell him?"

She continued as if she hadn't heard him, "Lucky was so mad yesterday just because I hugged you and cared that you hadn't died. I don't know what he would do if he found out that I betrayed him."

Jason grabbed her shoulders and gave a little shake, "He's not going to find out. The only people who know are you and me and I'm not going to tell him."

Elizabeth could smell Jason's scent. One small step and she would be in his arms. If she tilted her head up, she would be only fractions away from his lips. For a split second she wanted to give in. She wanted to feel the electricity that ran through her when his lips touched hers. She twisted out of his hold and turned her back to him. She couldn't get through this if she looked at him. "Jason, we can't be friends anymore."

He dropped his arms and sighed. It was worse than he thought. "Lucky asked you to stay away from me."

She turned and faced him angry that he knew without her having to tell him, "Can you blame him? He's my boyfriend. He has the right to tell me not to see you. He may only suspect but I've given him reason to doubt me and my relationship with you. Even now, I'm with you right now when I should be with him."

"I didn't think you liked people telling you what to do."

"He's not telling me what to do. I'm choosing this on my own," she argued. "You know, he's never asked me to do anything for him before. Not directly. And I don't think he's being that unreasonable."

"If you don't mind him choosing your friends," he needed to change her mind. He knew being her friend wouldn't be easy, but he didn't want to deal with not being her friend, of not being able to talk to her or go riding with her or hearing her mutter while she painted. He needed her like he needed his next breath.

"You're more than a friend, Jason, and he knows it. He knows I care about you, and he's threatened by that. I have to respect his wishes." She wiped her hands under her eyes. "Please don't be mad."

He wanted to take her in his arms and take away all her hurt, but he knew she would push him away. "I'm, I'm not mad at you. I like riding with you. The way you yell when we're going fast and how you, how you think of everything in pictures and you try to describe them to me. I like to hear about all the places that you're going to see."

She gave a sad smile, "You're making this really difficult."

"Is that wrong? I know you don't really want to do this."

"Part of me wanted you to understand and say it was for the best and wished me well, and the other part of me is so glad it all meant as much to you as it did to ma. I loved being free. But I love Lucky more. So could you do me a favour? Please accept that I'm doing this even though I don't want to, and help me by staying away." She needed to leave. If she stayed any longer, she would breakdown right in front of him.

He stared at her. She squirmed under his intense gaze. She felt like he was looking into her soul. "You want me to stay away from you?" he finally asked.

She looked into his eyes and knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him, "I want to make Lucky happy." For a second she thought he wasn't going to agree. A part of her didn't want him to. But then he nodded and walked silently to the bike. She followed and took the helmet he offered without speaking.

They drove back in silence. Elizabeth couldn't quite enjoy the ride even though she knew she should savour it since it would be her last one. She just couldn't put her heart into it. She wondered what Jason was thinking. She knew she had hurt him, and she had never wanted to do that. She wanted more than anything to take away his pain but knew that she couldn't. She never thought she would ever have to hurt someone she cared about to make someone else happy.

Jason brought the bike to a stop in the alley behind Kelly's and waited for Elizabeth to get off.

"Thank you for the ride," she said quietly handing him the helmet.

There were so many things he wanted to say, but sure was all he could say. She walked to the door, but stopped before opening it. He stood waiting for her next move.

She hesitated then turned around. "The statue of the girl. Did she have a long dress or a short dress on?"

His heart sank, "It was long."

She took a step closer to him, "Was she smiling?"

He took a step closer to her, "I don't know. Why don't you go hike up there and see it? Maybe you could go with Lucky."

She sighed and looked away, "No. I hate this."

He touched her cheek, "Then why are you doing it?"

He leaned down to kiss her. She raised her head to meet him, but before their lips could meet she turned her head and reached for the door. As she stepped through the doorway she looked back and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Jason stared at the closed door. He wanted to hit something. He thought maybe a bar fight would work, but then remembered something even better. Sorel was waiting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Good morning, beautiful."

Elizabeth opened her eyes to see Lucky staring down at her. He was already awake and dressed. When she came in last night, she'd been glad that Lucky was asleep. She knew she wouldn't have been able to handle an argument with him about where she'd been. Her emotional state had been pretty much trashed after her talk with Jason. Looking at Lucky now, she wasn't sure she could handle talking to him today either.

"Morning," she said sluggishly as she rubbed her eyes and sat up in the bed.

"I didn't hear you come in last night," he said. "You must have worked really late." She could hear the silent question loud and clear. Did you see Jason?

She wanted to be honest but didn't want him to know exactly what happened between her and Jason. "I finished my painting and then I went to Jake's to see Jason. I needed to make sure he was okay and to tell him that we couldn't be friends anymore." She closed her eyes and waited for the attack. It didn't come.

He smiled, leaned over and kissed her. "I've got great news. Mom and Carly are going to organize a launch party to announce who will be the next Face of Deception. It's going to be next week. I can't wait for your name to be called and all those journalists start clamouring for your attention. You're going to be a star, and we'll get to live out our dream."

Elizabeth was stunned. Lucky didn't say anything about Jason. Had he changed his mind? Did he not care that she had seen him when she agreed not too? Maybe I didn't try hard enough to make Lucky understand her connection with Jason. Did she even understand her connection with Jason?

She smiled at Lucky's excited expression. He was happy and that's all she ever wanted. "That's great," she said trying to match Lucky's excitement, but not quite achieving it. With everything that had occurred in the last two days, she had forgotten all about becoming a model. She remembered what she told Jason. She didn't want to be a model, but she would do it to make Lucky happy.

She climbed out of bed and reached for her bathrobe. "Let me take a quick shower and get ready, okay. Then you can tell me all the plans for the party."

He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her again, "Want some company?"

She hit him playfully on the arm and opened the door. "You know Bobbie would never allow that," she laughed. "Go down and order some breakfast. I'll be ready by the time it's served." She headed for the bathroom before he could reply.

Her smile lasted until the bathroom door closed. She looked at herself and couldn't believe what she saw. Her eyes looked lifeless, devoid of emotion. She looked years older than she was. I'm so tired, she thought. She tired to smile but her mouth wouldn't cooperate. It's only been one day, she thought. It will get better. She knew it. It had to.

Jason stepped cautiously into Kelly's scanning the diner looking for her. She wasn't scheduled to work, but there was always the chance she could be sitting with Lucky and Emily just hanging out. He was a fool. Why else would he torture himself like this? He should find another place to get his coffee, then he wouldn't be putting Elizabeth in the awkward position of accidentally running into him. A better man would do just that, but he wasn't a better man.

He ordered a coffee and sat down at the counter. He wondered when Taggert would be paying him a visit. Soon he figured since Sorel's body would be found by now. He knew he was going to be Taggert's one and only suspect. Sometimes he felt sorry for Taggert. He could only imagine the frustration Taggert felt from desperately trying to take him and Sonny down and never being able to. It would make any man crazy. He knew the law thought he was a criminal, but he didn't think so. He didn't go around killing or hurting any regular person on the street. He just dealt with the people who tried to go against Sonny. Their life didn't follow the normal rules as the normal everyday person's did. It had their own rules and he was the one to who enforced those rules. Those involved with this life know the rules when they enter, so he felt no guilt when they have to be punished for breaking them. He would expect the same kind of treatment if he broke a rule. That's the life he agreed to when he'd accepted Sonny's job offer.

"What are you doing here, Morgan?"

He turned to see Lucky standing behind him. "You don't belong here."

Jason brought his cup to his lips and just stared at Lucky. "The last I checked this was a free country. I can go where I please."

Lucky stepped closer getting into Jason's face. "She doesn't want you, Morgan. Is that too complicated for your brain-damaged head to understand? Elizabeth is with me," he snarled.

Jason was so tired of Lucky. He wished he could take him to a deserted alley and just beat the shit out of him. It would make him happy, but he knew Elizabeth wouldn't like it. He couldn't see what she thought was so special about him.

He clenched and unclenched his fists trying to keep his anger in check. "Lucky, I don't have time for you and your insecurities," he said swinging his chair back to the counter.

Lucky grabbed Jason's shoulder and forced him back around. "Well make time, because you're not leaving until I know you're going to leave Elizabeth alone. She doesn't need you stalking her."

Jason brushed Lucky's hand off his shoulder and stood. Lucky took a step back prepared to attack at any provocation from Jason, but none came. Jason picked up his coffee and turned to leave. Anger covered Lucky's face. He shoved Jason when he tried to pass. Jason fell back against the counter dropping his cup.

"Lucky, what is wrong with you?"

Emily stood by the entrance shocked at what she had just seen. Lucky had shoved her brother and looked like he was ready to do more.

Lucky turned to face her, "Nothing, Jason and I were just talking."

She moved closer to Lucky. "It looked to me like you were about to do more than just talk. It looked like you were about to hit my brother."

"Emily, it's okay," Jason said in a clam voice. That seemed to make Lucky even angrier. Hatred radiated from him.

"No, Jason, it's not," she would not let it go, "I want to know what's going on."

"Your brother and I were just discussing something, and I needed to make sure he understood what I was telling him," Lucky said. His distaste for Jason covered every word he spoke.

"By shoving him in the middle of Kelly's? What were you thinking?" She didn't understand where Lucky's hatred was coming from.

"What's going on here?" Taggert surveyed the situation from Kelly's entrance.

"This doesn't concern you, Taggert," yelled Lucky.

Taggert smiled and entered the building. "Anything dealing with Morgan here concerns me."

Jason sighed, "What do you want, Taggert?"

"It seems Joseph Sorel was killed in his home last night," he raised his hand and poked Jason with his finger. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"What! Sorel's dead," Emily screeched. "What about Zander? Is he all right?"

Taggert ignored Emily and kept his eyes on Jason hoping to see some kind of reaction to his news. A small smile or a twinkle in the eye, anything to show that Morgan knew about Sorel's death before he showed up, but all he saw was a blank expression. He didn't know why he expected a reaction. Morgan was never one to brag about his work. He just wished one day Morgan would screw up, just once. "Turn around," he said. "You're under arrest for the murder of Joseph Sorel. You have the right to remain silent, but you already know that don't you. You have the right to an attorney, if …"

Jason tuned Taggert out and turned without comment. He placed his hands behind his back without protest. He was expecting to be arrested and wasn't worried. He knew nothing would come of it. The police didn't have any evidence to tie him to the murder. He just wished that Emily didn't have to be present when Taggert did his job.

"You can't do that," Emily objected grabbing Taggert's hand to prevent him from handcuffing Jason. "You don't have a warrant."

"Emily, be quiet," Lucky pulled her out of the way as Taggert tightened the handcuffs.

"Lucky-," she was about to argue when she saw Jason's expression.

"Don't worry," he said moving towards the door, Taggert falling in behind him. "They can't hold me. I'll be out in an hour."

Taggert gave a sly smile, "I wouldn't count on it, Morgan. This time you're going down."

Emily was confused. What was going on? First Lucky shoved Jason, then Jason was arrested and Sorel was dead. She felt like if she had entered a parallel universe when she stepped into Kelly's, but then realized that this was just the same old Port Charles. Her time away must have affected her more than she originally thought.

She looked back at Lucky. "Please tell me what was going on between you and Jason."

"What about Lucky and Jason?" Elizabeth asked stopping beside Emily.

"That's what I would like to know," exclaimed Emily. "When I got here Lucky was about to punch Jason."

"What?" Elizabeth shifted her gaze to Lucky. "You hit Jason?"

"No, I didn't," he replied giving Emily an angry look.

She ignored it. "You would have if I hadn't interrupted you," she stated. "Then just as I was trying to get either one of them to talk, Taggert showed up and arrested Jason."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock, "Because of the fight?"

"Because he's a killer," he muttered quietly.

"Lucky!" Emily could not believe the words coming out of Lucky's mouth.

He shrugged, "What? It's the truth. You may not want to accept it, but he kills people for a living. He belongs in jail."

"Wait," Elizabeth interrupted. She needed to know why Jason was arrested. "Why did Taggert arrest Jason?"

Emily gave a quick glance at Lucky and answered, "Sorel was murdered last night and Taggert thinks Jason did it."

"What? When? Did Jason say anything? Do you know if they have any evidence against him?"

Emily looked strangely at her, "That's all I know. Why? Do you know something?"

Elizabeth didn't answer. She looked to Lucky and knew he would be upset about what she was going to say next, but she needed to help Jason. "I have to go to the police station."

Lucky grabbed her arm to stop her, "No, you don't."

"Lucky, Jason didn't do this," she said. She wasn't entirely sure of that, but it didn't matter. She didn't want Jason to go to prison even if he did kill Joseph Sorel. She didn't care about Sorel. He had shot Jason that Christmas two years ago. He was probably the one that bombed the warehouse. He needed to be punished. If the police did it or Jason, it didn't matter to her.

"Elizabeth, you promised," Lucky whined.

"I know, but this is important. I can't just let Jason go to jail when I know I can help him." She ran out of Kelly's without a backward glance.

"Damn it!" Lucky yelled and stalked off towards the stairs leaving Emily alone in the middle of the diner. Something was going on, and she was going to find out what.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"It takes balls, Morgan, I'll give you that," Taggert sat across from Jason and slapped a thick file on the table, "to walk right into Sorel's compound with dozens of guards and take him out." He paused to make sure Jason was listening. "But I think you're getting cocky in your old age because you made a stupid mistake and now you're going down. Maybe that brain damage is finally showing its ugly head." Taggert was trying to get a rise out of Jason but so far nothing. Not a sound, not a raised eyebrow, not a blink, Jason never faltered from his stone cold expression.

"Let me see if I can guess about how it went down last night," Taggert stood and began to pace around the room. "You took out the guards at the gate each with a single bullet to the head preventing them from signalling the alarm. You were able to enter the house without being seen and made your way to Sorel's bedroom. There you killed the guard by the door with a knife to the throat before entering the room. Everything to that point pretty standard for Sonny Corinthos' go to guy. It's inside that I'm confused about." Taggert stopped briefly to sit back down and face Jason head on. "You didn't just kill Sorel. You took the time to beat him senseless before finally ending his life with a bullet." He gave a curious expression, "Why? Why risk getting caught when you didn't have to?"

If he could have, Jason would have smiled. Taggert wasn't as stupid as Sonny thought. He'd pretty much described what had happened last night, but he wasn't going to let Taggert know that. He leaned closer to the table, "I want my phone call."

Taggert feigned surprised and made his way to the door, "You want to call super attorney Alexis Davis or the Godfather Sonny Corinthos? Neither one can help you this time. What you may not be aware of is that the police had Sorel's compound under surveillance last night," he said with a sadistic smile. "Everything that you did was caught on tape."

Taggert walked slowly to his desk and wondered when he would take the phone in for Morgan to use. No rush, he thought, let him sit and squirm for a while. Jason Morgan was finally going to jail. He felt such a rush that he could kiss the next person that walked through the precinct doors.

Elizabeth entered the PCPD with determination. She wanted to see Jason and no one was going to stop her. She headed straight for Detective Taggert's desk.

He gave her a wide smile, "Miss. Webber, what can I do for you?"

"Jason did not kill Joseph Sorel," she got right to the point.

Taggert was grateful he was already sitting in a chair. If he hadn't, he probably would have landed on his ass. "You want to run that by me again."

"Jason was with me last night. He couldn't have killed Joseph Sorel."

The detective was speechless. This couldn't be happening. Elizabeth Webber was not standing in front of him attempting to give Morgan an alibi. "Well, I have video surveillance that tells me otherwise."

Elizabeth face never changed, "Well your video tape is wrong. Jason was with me."

Taggert stood knocking his chair over. He was losing his patience. "Look, I don't know what you hope to accomplish but let me tell you this is not a game."

She didn't flinch and stared straight into his eyes, "I'm not playing."

He stared at her dumbfounded. When would anything dealing with Corinthos and Morgan ever be simple? He rubbed his temples with his hand. He was beginning to get a headache. He took a deep breath and looked back to Elizabeth her stance unchanged. He needed to make her see that she was only going to cause problems for herself by lying about Morgan's whereabouts at the time of the murder.

"Taggert," Detective Capelli called to him. "The preliminary forensics report is in."

Taggert gave an impatient look towards Elizabeth. "Don't go anywhere," he said before conferring with Capelli.

Elizabeth looked around the squad room to where Taggert and Capelli were huddled going through the file in Capelli's hand. She may appear confident but inside she was shaking. A video tape? How was she going to argue with a video tape? She scanned the room again to make sure no one was paying her any attention. Everybody was diligently working on other things. She began to wander nonchalantly closer to the two policemen hoping she didn't cause any suspicion. She had never been very good at the cloak-and-dagger stuff. As she got closer she pretended to look through the window on the near wall and was surprised to see Jason. She'd thought he'd be in jail. She took one more casual step and strained to hear Taggert and Capelli.

"Sorel was killed about midnight last night. One bullet to the head," Capelli spoke with no emotion. Sorel was not the typical murder victim to warrant any sympathy. "Not that it mattered. The coroner says the beating would probably have killed him. He had several broken ribs and a skull fracture along with numerous bruises covering his face and torso. The coroner thinks the skull fracture was caused maybe by a boot. He's not sure until he does a few more tests."

"The gun?"

"Nothing. It wasn't left at the crime scene and we found nothing at Morgan's room above Jake's. I mean nothing. It doesn't even look like he lives there," Capelli said. "Morgan didn't even have any personal items like pictures or mementoes. How can a person live that way?"

Taggert didn't care about that. Morgan wasn't a real person anyway. "What about the surveillance tape from Moore and Henderson?"

"I don't know," Capelli answered.

"Well, find out," Taggert yelled and glanced back to his desk to see Elizabeth standing a few feet away from them. He grabbed her and practically dragged her back to his desk. "What are you doing? This is police business not some adventure. You need to go back to Kelly's and forget about this childish hero worship you have for Jason Morgan."

Elizabeth yanked her arm from his grip. "I am not a child."

"Taggert, will I be needing to file a police brutality charge against you on Elizabeth's behalf?" Alexis was standing by the wooden gates to the precinct. She had just witnessed the exchange and couldn't understand the anger Taggert had projected towards Elizabeth Webber.

Taggert took a quick look at Morgan before facing Alexis. "Did your trusty lawyer sense tingle warning you that the boy wonder had been brought in?"

Alexis walked up and placed her briefcase on his desk. "Emily called me and told me you arrested Jason at Kelly's for the murder of Joseph Sorel."

Good news travels fast, he thought. "That's right. And I guess you're here to try and use your legal skills to twist the evidence and try and get him off."

Elizabeth jumped in before Alexis could reply. "Alexis, Jason didn't kill Sorel. He was with me last night, but Taggert won't listen."

Alexis looked knowingly at Taggert, "Really?"

"She's lying. We have him on tape," he insisted.

"We'll see," Alexis countered and turned her attention back to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, I'll take care of it. Why don't know you go back to Kelly's?"

Elizabeth wouldn't hear of it, "I'm not leaving until I see him."

"Okay, have a seat then," she waved towards the seats along the wall. "I need to talk to Jason and find out exactly what is going on. Taggert?"

He sighed and pointed her towards the interrogation room.

Jason was startled out of musings. He'd been thinking about Elizabeth and her face last night in the alley. She was hurting, and it was his fault. He didn't want her to hurt because of him. Even though he hated it, he would honour her wishes and stay away from her. Maybe then she could be truly happy with Lucky.

"Alexis, how did you know I was here?"

Alexis was about to respond when she realized Taggert hadn't left the room. "Thank you, Detective." She waited for him to leave before taking the chair across from Jason and sitting down. "Emily called me. So tell me what I'm in for this time."

He smiled. He liked Alexis. She never asked if he did the crime or not. He didn't think she wanted to know. It was her way of ignoring what he did for a living. If she didn't know he had committed the crime, she wouldn't have to feel guilty about getting him off. "Sorel was killed last night."

"I know that. What I don't know is why you got Elizabeth involved. You don't usually bring outsiders into this."

"What!" He couldn't have heard her correctly.

Alexis looked over her shoulder through the window, "Elizabeth is out there. She's adamant that you were with her when Sorel was killed."

He couldn't believe it. A part of him was excited. Why was she here when last he knew she was going to avoid him? What did this mean? The other part wanted her to go away. He didn't want her involved in this. "Alexis, she doesn't know what she's talking about. You need to tell her to go before she talks to anyone else."

Alexis could see the concern in his eyes. He loves her, she thought amazed at seeing this new dimension in Jason. "I don't think I can, Jason. She was already here when I arrived and it looked like something had happened between her and Taggert."

"What! What did he do?"

"He was holding her arm and telling her to stay out of police business," Alexis replied sorry she had told him when his expression became cold and business like. If Taggert had been in the room, Jason would be charged for assaulting a police officer as well as murder. "Jason, you need to focus on why you're here. Is Elizabeth right? Were you with her when Sorel was killed? Because if you were, then you have an alibi and I can get you out in fifteen minutes."

"I don't need an alibi. They don't have any evidence that I was involved." He didn't want to use Elizabeth even if it looked like she wanted him to.

Alexis was worried. Why was Jason refusing to admit to an alibi? Then it came to her. Maybe Lucky had something to do with it. Last she knew Elizabeth was with Lucky. Was Jason trying to protect Elizabeth from Lucky finding out? As much as she admired his intent, she couldn't believe he was willing to take the risk with his life. "What about this tape Taggert says they have?"

"That won't be a problem," he said with confidence.

"How do you know? Did you … you know I don't want to know. Let me get Taggert in here and find out exactly what they have against you." She stood and singled the Detective through the window.

"Well, I guess it would be too much to hope your client is going to confess," he grinned walking into the room. "Not that we need it. We have everything we need to put him away."

"Detective, I suggest you save your victory dance until you get a conviction and show me what you have," Alexis was not amused by Taggert's little show of confidence. She'd been through this too many times to know that if Jason said the tape wasn't a problem then it wasn't a problem.

Before Taggert could begin, Capelli stuck his head in the door, "Taggert, I need to talk to you."

"Not now," yelled Taggert.

"You'll want to see this," he said holding up a file.

"What is it?" He grabbed the file and scanned the contents. His expression became darker with each page he read. He couldn't believe this was happening. He closed the file and gave it back to Capelli. He needed to calm down or he knew would lose it.

"I'd like to see that, Detective," Alexis knew the file had something to do with her client. Capelli hesitated but handed over the file. Alexis was quiet as she read file. When she was done, she took off her glasses and turned towards Taggert. "So let me get this straight. You dragged my client from Kelly's causing me to leave an important business meeting and you have no evidence. Is that what I am to understand?" She handed the file back to him. "The tape you were so sure would convict my client came up with nothing, just snow. Ballistics matched one of the bullets found in Sorel to an unsolved murder where one of Sorel's guards was the prime suspect. There was no physical evidence placing my client at the crime scene and his alibi is sitting in a chair outside," she paused in her listings to look at Elizabeth. "Let me tell you, Detective, you better uncuff Jason right now and let him leave or else you won't be happy with what I do next."

Taggert looked like he would argue. He knew in his gut that Morgan did it, but he couldn't do anything. He felt like punching his hand through the door. Every time, he thought. Morgan got away every time. Every time he thought the law would win and Morgan would be put away for his crimes, there would always be something to get him off. He didn't understand how Morgan did it. He sighed in defeat and nodded towards Capelli to remove the handcuffs before slamming the door as he stalked out the room. He couldn't stomach seeing Morgan be released one more time.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Elizabeth sat nervously watching the policemen going about their business. With each passing minute, her bravado slipped. The video tape was worrying her. If Taggert had a tape of Jason at the crime scene then he would know she was lying. Well, she wasn't really lying, she figured. She had been with Jason last night – just not at the time of the murder. From what she had overheard, Jason must have left her and gone to Sorel. She didn't know how she felt about that. The idea that he could leave her and go and kill someone, made her a little uneasy. The entire time he was with her he was thinking about what he was going to do later. She actually felt guilty and a little selfish. Sonny was still in the hospital for God's sakes. Jason had a lot to deal with and all she had done was cause him more stress by telling him she couldn't see him anymore. She thought about the beating Sorel had suffered. Was that her fault? Was Jason that angry that he could do something like that?

She snapped back to reality when Taggert slammed the interrogation room door.

He didn't look happy. She cautiously stood unsure if she should approach him. Then Alexis and Jason exited the room with Detective Capelli following behind. Jason was rubbing his wrists. She rushed over to him.

"Jason, are you all right?"

"Of course he's all right," replied Taggert angrily. "Why wouldn't he? He commits a crime and then gets off scot-free."

She looked at Taggert then back to the three people in front of her. "What? How?"

Alexis touched Jason's arm, "Why don't you take Elizabeth back to Kelly's and fill her in while I finish up here, okay?"

Jason nodded and guided Elizabeth out the police station without a backward glance. They walked for a while in silence. Both were uncomfortable and didn't know what to say. It was strange. Talking to each other had never been a problem for them before. Elizabeth knew she responsible for the change.

When they reached the docks, she knew she couldn't wait any longer. "Are you okay? I don't know how I would feel if I was just arrested for murder."

Jason stopped walking. "I get arrested a lot."

She gave him a weak smile, "Yeah, I guess."

Jason pinched his nose, "Why did you come down to the station?"

"I couldn't let you go to prison, Jason – not if it was in my power to help you." She couldn't believe Jason even questioned it. "You're still my friend. I still care about you. That hasn't changed."

"Why are you doing this, Elizabeth?" His tone a harsher than he intended. He didn't like this back and forth game she seemed to be playing.

She looked confused, "I told you. I could give you an alibi. I wasn't going to let you rot in prison when I could help."

He sighed, "I don't mean that. I mean what are you doing here? We could have parted at the police station. You didn't need me to walk you to Kelly's."

She didn't know what to say to him. Why was she still with him? "I wanted to make sure you were okay," she said weakly.

"Well, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm sorry you're angry," she cried. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"You're hurting more," he said. He could see the dark circles under her eyes. He could see the pain she was trying to hide. "Why are you doing this to yourself? You don't want this life." He took her face in his hands. "You don't want to be a model. You don't want your picture taken and looked at by strangers. You want to paint and feel free. You want to feel the wind in your face when you're on the back of my bike. Why are you living a life that you don't want?"

She stepped out of his reach. "Love," she said wiping the tears from her eyes. "When you love someone you do what they need, even if it hurts, and I love Lucky."

Jason couldn't take it anymore. "Then what about Lucky?"

She was confused, "Lucky?"

"He keeps telling me he loves you every time I see him. Why isn't he sacrificing a part of himself for you? Why isn't he changing himself to make you happy?"

She stared at him in bewilderment. She didn't have an answer to his questions. She tried to think of something Lucky had done since his return to make her happy. Something, anything, that he hadn't wanted to do but did anyway because it was something she wanted. She couldn't.

"Elizabeth?" A voice called from behind her. She turned to see Lucky standing by the stairs.

"Lucky! What are you doing here?"

He walked closer to them gripping his hands together, "I was looking for you. Isn't it interesting that when I find you, you're with Jason."

She hesitated, "You know that I went to the police station to help Jason. I told you. He was released, and we just going back to Kelly's."

He stopped and stood purposely between them. "I see," he said shifting his gaze from Elizabeth to Jason. "Well, I'm here now. Jason can go back to whatever rock he crawled out of and leave us alone."

"Lucky, please don't be that way," she pleaded. She didn't want Lucky to start anything with Jason. She was worried he might end up in the hospital.

"What way? Don't I have a right to be upset when I find you with the one person I asked you not to be around? Don't you think I have cause to be angry?"

"Hey, Lucky, just relax," Jason said trying to keep Lucky's attention on him and not Elizabeth.

Lucky turned his angry stare on him, "This conversation is between me and her."

"I'm just telling you, take it easy." The subtle warning did not escape Lucky's ears.

Lucky laughed, "Oh, that's right. You're Elizabeth's big defender. What are you going to do, Jason - make me disappear?"

"Lucky…" Elizabeth tried to take control of the situation, but he ignored her and kept his eyes on Jason.

"You trying to impress her? You know, I don't want you hanging around her anymore."

Jason was so tired of Lucky and his demands, "That's not your decision."

"Really? Because we discussed it and Elizabeth has already agreed," he turned back to her. "Unless, of course, you lied about that."

Elizabeth felt lost. She didn't know what to do or say to fix this problem. "You know I didn't, but…"

Lucky didn't let her finish. "Then tell Jason goodbye and let's go," he ordered. He walked towards the stairs fully expecting Elizabeth to follow.

Her legs didn't want to move. She just kept staring at Jason. She couldn't tell him goodbye. He mouth wouldn't form the words. Jason reached out to touch her arm, but dropped his hand when she took a step back.

"Elizabeth, you don't have to do this," he said quietly so that Lucky couldn't hear.

"Elizabeth!" She turned to see Lucky standing impatiently by the stairs.

She looked back to Jason. As much as it hurt her, she needed to let him go. "I'm sorry," she whispered so softly Jason wasn't even sure she'd said anything. She wiped a tear from her face and walked away leaving Jason standing alone on the docks.

Jason wasn't sure how long he stood there but knew it had been some time. He'd made a decision. He would do what she wanted. As much as it killed him to do it, he would find a way to stay away from her. He wanted her to be happy even if she couldn't be happy with him. If being with Lucky was what she needed to be happy then he would not get in the way. He glanced at this watch. He needed to see Sonny before visiting hours were over. He gave a final glance to where he had last seen her and walked in the opposite direction.

Carly was in with Sonny when he arrived at the hospital room. He almost turned to leave knowing he couldn't deal with her right now, but she saw him before he could go.

"Jason? Where are you going?" She got off the bed to grab his arm and drag him into the room. "You need to hear the good news," she smiled. "Sonny is getting out of this hell hole tomorrow. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, it is," he said.

She looked at him concerned. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to Sonny about business."

She shook her head. "No, no, the doctors just gave us good news. He doesn't need to hear anything bad right now. Just leave it for tomorrow, okay."

"Carly," Sonny took her hand to calm her down, "it's okay. I need to talk to Jason. Why don't you go and see Bobbie for a few minutes."

She started to argue but knew she wouldn't win. "Okay, but you have only twenty minutes before visiting hours are over so I'll be back then to say goodbye." She picked up her purse and left the room.

Sonny waited a few moments before asking, "How did it go?"

"Our problem has been eliminated."

Sonny nodded his understanding, "Good. What about the warehouse?"

Jason shrugged, "The fire marshal gave us the okay to start rebuilding. A crew will arrive first thing tomorrow to remove all the debris and start the reconstruction. Our shipments are being sent to the empty warehouse we have on pier 52. Our customers were quite understanding about their delays, especially when I agreed to give them a discount on their next shipment."

Sonny nodded again. He liked everything he was hearing. "Roscoe?"

"He got away, but I'm not worried. He doesn't have anywhere to go. With Sorel gone the little power Roscoe had is gone too. He can't hurt us."

Sonny agreed, "Taggert?"

Jason paused unsure if he should mention Elizabeth. "He arrested me around lunch time."

Sonny looked concern, "How did it go?"

Jason shrugged, "Same as always. Taggert confident that he's got me until Capelli came in to break the bad news."

"Who did you use as an alibi? Johnny?"

"Uh, no, I was going to, but Elizabeth showed up at the police station and said she was with me." He waited for Sonny's reaction.

"She did, did she?" He smiled, "Were you with her, or did she just make that up in her head?"

Jason almost blushed under Sonny scrutiny, "We went for a ride and then I dropped her off."

Sonny's smile became a grin, "A ride, huh?"

"It wasn't like that," he replied. "In fact, we're not friends anymore."

Sonny's grin vanished, "What are you talking about?" When Jason remained silent he tried again. "Jason, what happened?"

Jason was quiet for a moment then blurted out, "I kissed her."

"What? When?" He knew Jason had feeling for Elizabeth but he'd never thought he would have acted on it.

Jason got up and began pacing the room. "In her studio on Valentine's day. Last night she said it was a mistake. That she loved Lucky and she couldn't be my friend anymore. Lucky is jealous about our past relationship, and she wants to make him happy," he said the last word as if it was a curse.

Sonny stared at his best friend and hated when he couldn't control the world. He didn't know how to make this better for Jason. The woman he loved was in love with another man. It couldn't get any worse than that. And he wasn't going to make it any better. "You know I'd let you take off if you wanted to, but I need you here. The five families will be sniffing around looking for any weaknesses. I need you here as show of strength. I'm sorry."

Jason struggled to keep his face expressionless, "I understand." He nodded and moved to leave.

Carly jumped away from the door and quickly made her way around the corner. That bitch, she thought. She'd warned that little nobody to stay away from Jason. Elizabeth was obviously too stupid to listen and now she'd hurt her best friend. Carly's anger grew. She wasn't going to let that goody-goody muffin face get away with it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Her face hurt. She didn't think she could smile for one more second. Flash bulbs seemed to go off every five minutes blinding so much that she found it hard to focus on the people around her. Not that she wanted to. Journalists and photographs eager to find out everything there was to know about the future Face of Deception surrounded her. She had arrived to the launch of the new Deception line over an hour ago, and they had yet to leave her alone. They didn't seem to think any question was off limits. They asked about her dysfunctional relationship with her family. They wanted to know about her feeling about the police not being able to convict her rapist. _How did they even know about that?_

Then there were the boyfriend questions. One journalist even hinted that the competition was rigged since her boyfriend's mother co-owned Deception. He didn't know or cared that Gia was Laura's other son's girlfriend as well. And then there was Jason. Somehow they knew about her previous relationship with Jason and wanted to know about her connection with organized crime. One brought up the recent bombing and Jason's involvement with the death of Joseph Sorel. Another suggested that she worked secretly for Sonny since she had provided Jason with an alibi, or if not, maybe she was having an affair with him. That comment elicited a weak laugh from her.

She strained to look over their shoulders to find Lucky. _Where was he?_ She didn't think she could take anymore. She needed to get away from all the questions and cameras. She wished the vultures would just leave her alone. The only thing keeping her from bolting out the door was the knowledge that it was almost over. Soon Laura would be announcing Gia as the new Face of Deception and she could go back to her quiet life with Lucky and her painting. She knew it with every fibre of her being. Elizabeth had seen Gia's pictures earlier in the week in Lucky's darkroom at Deception. They were amazing. Laura had agreed when she had seen her the next day. She had finally gathered up enough courage to see her and tell her she didn't want to be a model. Laura had tried to argue but she didn't really put her full self into it. When she saw that Elizabeth was serious, she had been relieved. It seemed the decision had already been made, but Laura hadn't know how to tell her. Laura was also worried about Lucky. Elizabeth told her she would deal with Lucky when the time was right.

She looked over and saw Gia standing across the room with her own share of photographers and journalists. But unlike her, Gia was soaking up the attention. She looked like she belonged in the limelight, while Elizabeth cringed when a flash bulb went off. Gia was cut out for the job and everyone knew it but Lucky. Elizabeth knew he would be disappointed when Laura picked Gia but was ready to consol him about fulfilling their dreams together but separate. She thought back to their original dream. She was going to paint and he was going to play the guitar. That dream could still happen. The only change would be Lucky being a photograph rather than a guitarist. She had to make him see that.

Another flash bulb brought her back to the present. She gave another winning smile and took another question. She would get through this, she thought. She didn't know her unlikely rescuer was about to appear.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Sonny Corinthos made his way through the crowd. The only visible sign that he came close to dying was a black sling holding up his left arm. Other than that he looked fit and healthy in the tuxedo. "Let's give the girl a few minutes, okay. This is a party and she hasn't been able to relax and enjoy it since she arrived."

"Mr. Corinthos, is it true that Joseph Sorel was involved in the bombing of your warehouse that almost killed you and that you retaliated by ordering your enforcer Jason Morgan to kill him?" One ambitious journalist asked. He couldn't let a golden opportunity pass him by.

Sonny didn't even blink. "This night isn't about me. I am here to support my lovely wife Carly and her business partner Laura Spencer in their new endeavour. I know Carly would be glad to answer any questions you might have about the re-launching of Deception. Now give Miss Webber some space."

When the journalist saw that Sonny wasn't going waver from his silence regarding the bombing, they silently moved their attention to the other important people at the party. With each departing journalist, the tension around Elizabeth's head lessened until she was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the last photograph turned his camera at an some up and coming singer nearby. She looked to Sonny grateful for his help, yet a little apprehensive. She wasn't sure what Sonny knew about her dealings with Jason.

"Thank you, Sonny," she said. "I didn't know if I could answer one more question. How do you handle the press?"

He shrugged, "They don't have any power over me, so I don't worry about them."

"Aren't you afraid one of them might dig up something about you that they shouldn't?"

He grinned, "There's nothing to find, Elizabeth. My life is an open book."

She smiled. She more than anyone knew that wasn't the case. She felt special that Sonny and Jason trusted her to let her into that part of their lives even if it was only a small part. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he replied. "Carly's been taking good care of me all week. Except when she was planning this party, she hasn't really left my side. And she won't let me go back to work."

Elizabeth had to laugh at that. She couldn't imagine Sonny letting Carly tell him what to do. "I can understand her being a little possessive. She almost lost you."

Sonny quietly studied her. "Yeah, but now Jason has to do all the work to get the warehouse up and running again."

She couldn't look Sonny in the eye. She brought a hand up and fiddled with her hair. She wondered if he would mention Jason. The pier was the last time she had seen him and that was a week ago. He stopped coming into Kelly's for coffee. Emily had confided that she thought he had left town. It had felt like someone had ripped Elizabeth's heart out. She couldn't believe he would leave again without telling her goodbye. "Emily was worried that he was away on business. She hasn't seen him lately."

"No, no, he's still at Jake's. He just hasn't had a lot of time to stop in at Kelly's," he gave her a pointed look.

He knows, she thought. Jason must have needed someone to talk to. She shifted uncomfortably knowing that Sonny would side with his best friend. "How is he?"

Sonny continued his study of her, "Do you really want to know?" At her slow nod, he replied, "He's burying himself in his work trying to ignore the pain he's feeling."

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "I never meant to hurt him," she said quietly.

"I know, but you did. I can see that you're hurting too," he stated.

"It has to be this way," she couldn't go over this again. Her emotions couldn't take it.

"Why?"

"I need to make Lucky happy, and Lucky is jealous of Jason."

Sonny needed to know, "Does he have reason to be?"

"No," she replied a little too quickly. "I love Lucky."

"I know you do. The question is what do you feel for Jason?"

She was quiet for long time. "I love Jason, but as a friend. That's all."

Sonny gave her a knowing look. "Are you sure?"

Before she could answer, Carly came up and hugged Sonny. "It's almost time and I want you to be beside me when we make the announcement," she said barely acknowledging Elizabeth's presence. She took Sonny's good hand in hers and turned to walk to the stage. When Elizabeth thought Carly would completely ignore her, she turned and gave her quick look. Elizabeth was shocked to see so much hatred in Carly's eyes. She knew Carly didn't like her, but she didn't think Carly hated her.

Before she could give it any thought, Lucky cam from behind and circled her waist with his arms. "It's time. Soon the world will know how beautiful you are."

She gave a weak smile and leaned into his body. Lucky would be so disappointed, but she knew he would get over it. Gia was the right person to be the Face of Deception and he would see that in time.

Carly looked down to the woman that had hurt her friend. She wanted Elizabeth to suffer. All evening she and her assistant had been supplying the journalists with everything she knew about Elizabeth. Bobbie had been willing to tell her all about little Elizabeth Webber - how she ran away from home at 14, her rape when she was 15, everything. As the journalists bombarded Elizabeth with questions, Carly had quietly stood nearby relishing every wince and cringe Elizabeth had felt. After a while Carly thought maybe she had had enough, but then Sonny had intervened. Carly's anger grew as she saw Elizabeth trying to work Sonny as well. Carly knew Elizabeth hadn't suffered enough.

Carly stood in front of the podium and brought everyone to attention. This was it, she thought, the beginning of her new venture. She wanted to be happy, but she couldn't. All she could see was Jason and how much Elizabeth had hurt him. A wicked idea came to her. In minutes she would be announcing Gia Campbell's name as the new Face of Deception. A week ago, she had thought that that was going to be her way of hurting Elizabeth. But then Laura informed her that Elizabeth didn't want the job. Laura told her Elizabeth associated it with her rapist and couldn't go through it anymore. Now Carly knew it was the perfect way of paying her back for the pain she caused.

She waited for the noise to quiet down before she began. "Ladies and gentlemen, my partner Laura Spencer and I would like to thank you for coming to the re-launching of Deception cosmetics. We are very pleased you would take time out of your busy schedules to help us introduced the new Face of Deception." The audience cheered. She smile, "Well, I have to say it was a difficult decision. Laura and I argued many long hours over who," she pointed to Gia, "the exotic beauty or," then to Elizabeth, "the classic beauty would get the job."

"I am here now to tell you that a decision couldn't be made." Carly smiled at the shocked expression on Elizabeth's face. She ignored Laura's attempt to get her attention and continued, "Instead we will leave it up to the public. That's right. We will produce ads with both girls and have the public decide who they like best. The campaign will be "Who is the true Face of Deception?'" Carly scanned the crowd as they applauded the new campaign. The only person not clapping was Elizabeth. She seemed to be frozen where she stood. Carly smiled with glee. Oh, yeah, she thought, just wait little girl. You won't know what hit you.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 **

Emily was worried. In the thirty minutes since Jason entered Kelly's, he hadn't smiled once. Anyone else wouldn't even notice, but she was only one of a few people who knew the real Jason; the kinder, gentler, loving side he kept from the world. He hadn't let his guard down since he arrived to the deserted diner. Even when she had rushed up and hugged him, she'd felt a distance from him. He usually laughed and held her tight, but this time the hug had been awkward like he had never hugged anyone before.

She'd spent the last thirty minutes trying to get him to lighten up but had gotten nowhere. She gave a quick look to Zander begging him silently to do something. He reciprocated with raised eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have a clue. She scanned the diner grateful there weren't any other customers. There was only fifteen minutes before closing. She didn't think Bobbie would be too upset if she closed up early. She excused herself and went to lock the door.

She looked back to her brother. He was hurting and she wanted to help. She knew it had something to do with Elizabeth. Emily remembered how distraught Elizabeth had been on Valentine's Day, but she didn't think Jason rescuing Sonny was the cause. Did something happen between Jason and Elizabeth? No, that was crazy, she thought. Elizabeth was in love with Lucky. Besides Jason had just arrived in Port Charles. How could something have happened between them? But if Jason and Elizabeth were just friends, then what was going on with Jason and Lucky the other day? Did Lucky think something was going on between them, too? Is that why he shoved Jason? It would certainly explain why Jason stopped coming into Kelly's for coffee and lunch. She'd thought Jason had left town, but Jake assured her that he had paid for the month. When Emily found him at the warehouse, his excuse had been work.

She intended to get to the bottom of the problem, but didn't know how to approach the subject with him. If Jason had a thing for Elizabeth, she wouldn't know what to say. Elizabeth and Lucky belonged together. They were the storybook couple. Emily took a deep breath and signalled Zander as casually as she could. She wanted him to go upstairs so that she could talk to Jason alone. After a few head waves, he finally got the message and headed fort he stairs. She hesitated, not sure how to begin.

"What is it you want to ask me, Emily? Whatever you're struggling with just spit it out," Jason said without turning to face her.

Emily shuffled her feet. "Are you in love with Elizabeth?" The question was out before she could stop it. That wasn't what she'd wanted to ask.

Jason was silent. He didn't think he could lie to his sister, not about something like this. He turned to face her. "Why do you ask?"

She nervously gripped her hands in front of her. "Well, it's the only thing that makes sense with what's going on. First Elizabeth comes here crying like she'd just lost her best friend or something. Then Lucky tries to start a fight with you two days later. Finally, you have been avoiding Kelly's."

Jason ran his hand over his face. "I told you why I haven't been by. The warehouse …"

"Yeah, I know you've been busy with the warehouse. But you've been busy before and you've still found time to spend with me. I'm sure if I were still at the mansion, you would come and see me everyday. And those people you treat like the plague. So there must be a reason you're not coming to Kelly's."

Jason remained silent and tried to give her a blank stare. He couldn't do it. His most intimidating stares wouldn't work on Emily. She knew he would never hurt her.

She saw the truth in his eyes. "How does Elizabeth feel?"

"She wants to be with Lucky," he stated matter-of-factly.

She took his hands in hers. "I'm sorry, Jason. Maybe if Lucky hadn't returned …"

"Emily, I really don't want to talk about this," he said removing his hands from her grip.

"I'm sorry. I understand. I won't bring it up again. But Jason, please don't avoid me. I need my brother in my life," she pleaded.

Jason silently cringed. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. It's not your fault. Maybe we could meet at Jake's instead of here," she suggested.

He chuckled, "I don't think the Quartermaines would like you hanging out in a bar."

She laughed, "Since when have you ever cared what the Quartermaines like or dislike. Besides they probably won't even mind when they find out that Zander and I will be moving in together."

"What?" His little sister was moving in with Zander?

She nodded, "I love him. I almost lost him because of Sorel. I want to spend every moment I can with him." She could see Jason didn't really like the idea of her living with Zander. "It's a mute point anyway. Nothing is going to happen until Zander gets a job and not many people are willing to hire an ex-drug dealer with no experience."

Jason studied her. He could see she knew what she wanted, and she wanted to be with Zander. "Okay," he said getting up and grabbing his coat. "Tell him if he wants there might be a job for him at the warehouse. Tell him to come and see me tomorrow."

"Really!" She didn't wait for his reply. She jumped into his arms and hugged him. This time he returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm as she did. She pulled back and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the greatest brother in the whole world."

"What's going on?" They turned to see Lucky and Elizabeth enter the diner.

Emily smiled and pulled away from her brother. "Jason is going to give Zander a job. He is just the best brother there ever was."

"I'm sure he is," replied Lucky sarcastically giving Jason a menacing look but not acknowledging him.

An awkward silence filled the room. Emily tried her best to ease the tension. She looked at Elizabeth. "So tell me! Are you famous yet?"

Elizabeth, who had remained silent until then, gave a weak smile. "Well, …" she began but lucky interrupted her.

"Cousin Carly pulled a fast one," he looked at Jason as if whatever Carly did was his fault. "She claimed they couldn't decide, so she's letting the public vote on who will be the next Face of Deception."

Emily was confused. "So this means you're still going to be a model, right?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, but Lucky spoke again. "Yeah, both Elizabeth and Gia are going to be in the campaign. Carly's set up the first shoot for next weak."

Emily was so excited. She rushed to Elizabeth and hugged her. "This is so exciting. My best friend is going to be famous." She took Elizabeth's hands and practically dragged her to the counter. "Tell me everything that happened."

Lucky grabbed Elizabeth's arm to stop her. "You know, it's been a long day. Elizabeth's tired. Why doesn't she tell you all about it tomorrow?"

"Lucky, it's okay. I'm not that tired," Elizabeth insisted. She wanted to talk to Emily. She needed to talk to someone and she couldn't go to Jason. She gave him a quick glance. She couldn't risk anything longer for fear of Lucky's reaction. She was afraid he would start a fight, and she didn't want that.

Lucky was adamant. "You need your beauty sleep. I want you looking your best for next week's shoot."

Both Emily and Jason could see that Elizabeth wanted to stay, but instead of taking a seat, she quietly followed Lucky without complaint. She stopped at the base of the stairs and gave Jason another look. For a second, his heart jumped anxious that she might come to him. It fell when she continued up the stairs.

"What is up with Lucky?"

It took Jason a moment to realize Emily had spoken. He was worried. Elizabeth was allowing Lucky to control more than just her friendship with him. Lucky was speaking for her and making decisions for her. Anger flowed through his entire body, but he didn't know who it was directed at. Lucky for treating Elizabeth as a possession, or Elizabeth for letting him do it.

"Jason, are you okay?" Emily touched his arm to get his attention.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he didn't know what else to say.

"God, I hate this," Emily sighed in frustration. "I hate Elizabeth for hurting you."

Jason didn't want to hear that. Emily couldn't turn against Elizabeth. She needed to stay close to Elizabeth and be there for her when she needed it. "Emily, don't let this come between you and Elizabeth. She's going to need you soon."

"What do you mean?"

Jason hesitated. He didn't know how much he should tell Emily about Elizabeth. He didn't think she would like him discussing her problems with someone else, even Emily. "Just, just don't turn her away if she wants to talk to you." He looked back to the stairs. "I have to go. I'll see you soon." He gave her a quick hug and left the diner.

Emily stared after him. She wished there was something she could do to make him happy. Life sucks, she thought. For Jason to be happy, Lucky would have to suffer. It wasn't fair. She sighed then made sure Kelly's was locked up tight before heading upstairs to Zander.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Elizabeth quietly closed the door behind her. Lucky was asleep, and she didn't want to wake him. She needed a few minutes to herself away from Lucky. He hadn't left her side all week. He wanted to go with her to the studio. He stationed himself at the table near the window at Kelly's for all her shifts. He wouldn't leave her alone.

She made her way down stairs and took a seat at the counter. Her life was falling apart, she thought dropping her head in her hands. There was no way she would be able to continue pretending she was happy about being a model. It had already taken so much out of her already. She couldn't believe it. Why did Carly change her mind? From the beginning, Carly had never wanted her for the job, and now when the person she had chosen was going to get the position, she changed her mind. Elizabeth thought about the strange look Carly had given her after she made the announcement. It had caused the back of her neck to tingle. Carly was up to something. She wanted to hurt and humiliate her. Elizabeth was sure of it. But why? Carly had always hated her because of Jason – because he accepted Elizabeth's help when he was shot and not hers. But that was a long time ago. She couldn't still be mad about that, could she?

No, Carly's always treated her like a pest, but she's never set out to hurt her, Elizabeth thought. It had to be more than just the past. She thought about seeing Jason earlier tonight. He hadn't even talked to her – tell her hello. _What did she expect, a smile and a big hug?_ A part of her screamed, yes! That was what she had wanted. At that moment, all she'd wanted was to have Jason's arms around her protecting her and taking her worries away.

Why was it so hard to forget Jason? She'd gotten on with her life the other times he'd left. But he didn't leave, she thought. She told him he couldn't be her friend and now both were suffering.

She thought back to Sony's question. Was she sure she only loved Jason as a friend or was there something more? She hadn't had an answer earlier, and she didn't have an answer now. She didn't know how she felt anymore. All she knew was that she missed him. Almost every other thought was about him and what he was doing. She'd cried when she realized after two days that Jason wasn't going to be stopping by Kelly's for coffee anymore. She had foolishly thought that at least she would get to see him when he came in to eat. It never occurred to her that Jason would honour her request completely by avoiding Kelly's altogether.

She'd been tempted to go to Jake's to see him. She'd wanted to just talk to him, but she didn't get passed Kelly's entrance. Lucky had come in just as she was going out and stopped her from leaving. He'd wanted to spend the day with her. It was as if he could read her mind and knew she was going to see Jason. She had felt guilty for the rest of the day.

Now that she thought of it, it was probably a good thing tat she didn't go to Jake's. What would she have said? Nothing had changed. She was still with Lucky. All she would have done was continue to hurt Jason and she didn't want to do that anymore.

"Elizabeth, you couldn't sleep?"

She looked up to see Emily coming down the stairs. "Me, either."

Elizabeth patted the seat beside her. "Well, pull up a chair."

"How about some hot chocolate," Emily entered the kitchen rather than taking a seat, "with chocolate syrup and sprinkles?"

Elizabeth agreed, "And three packets split two ways. That's just what I need right now."

Emily returned some time later with two cups in each hand. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Elizabeth accepted the cup and raised it to her lips. "So what's keeping you up?"

Emily sat down in the chair next to Elizabeth and pondered the question. "I'm just excited I guess and a little worried. With the new job Jason's giving Zander, we'll be able to have enough money for an apartment. Living together is a big step. I know my family will freak when they find out. I'm only eighteen. They won't understand why it's so important to me."

Elizabeth didn't even understand why Emily was taking such a big step. "Explain it to me," she suggested. "If you can tell me, then you can tell your family."

Emily was quiet for a long time. "When Zander was shot over Christmas, I realized how close I came to losing him. I felt like a part of me was dying. I knew then that I really loved him. It wasn't like the love I felt for Juan. It was more than that – a hundred times more. I just couldn't see my life without him in it. I know you think I'm rushing, but you've been there. You know what's it's like to lose the love of your life."

Yes, she did, Elizabeth thought. She knew Emily was referring to Lucky, but she didn't have to think that far back. That's how she'd felt when she thought Jason was going to die in the warehouse. She envied Emily and her relationship with Zander. Emily seemed to have everything figured out. Unlike her, who seemed to be caught in a tidal wave that was taking her away from what she really wanted in life.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Emily said. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you."

"No, no, you didn't," she insisted not sure what to say. She couldn't tell Emily she was thinking of Jason. "I was just thinking about this modelling thing."

Emily could see Elizabeth wasn't as excited as Emily thought she would be. "So, give me all the details about tonight."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Okay. So, the party, okay," she didn't know where to begin. "Let me think. It was pretty much a nightmare. From start to finish, there were reporters everywhere, cameras flashing. My face hurts so bad from smiling. God, they kept asking the most personal questions, about the rape, Lucky's connection to Laura, even how I knew Sonny. It was horrible. Then Carly made her announcement."

Emily hesitated, "So, what, you don't want to be the new Face of Deception? I thought this was you dream coming true."

Elizabeth ran her hands through her hair. "I'm beginning to wonder whose dream this is – ours or just Lucky's."

"What do you mean?"

"I hate being a model. I hate having my picture taken even if Lucky is taking the pictures. I don't want my face on billboards or in magazines." Elizabeth felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted. She didn't have to keep it from Emily anymore.

Emily on the other hand was stunned. Was she so preoccupied with Zander that she didn't see her friend was suffering. "If you don't want to be a model, then just do something else."

If it were only that simple, Elizabeth thought. "But Lucky has his heart set on it," she said.

"Even when he knows you don't want to?" Emily couldn't believe Lucky wouldn't care about his girlfriend's happiness.

Elizabeth stared down to her cup. "Actually, I haven't quite told him yet," she admitted.

"Why not?"

"He's so excited about this photography thing, being a photographer. He has this wonderful image in his head about us working together and travelling the world. How can I disappoint him? He's the happiest I've seen him in months. I don't want to change that."

Emily didn't like the desperate tone in her friend's voice. "I'm sure he wouldn't be happy if he knew you weren't."

Elizabeth stood and began to pace. "You don't understand, Emily. If I tried to tell him I'm not happy, he'll go crazy. He'll see this as my way of destroying our dreams. He'll think I don't love him."

Emily didn't believe that. "Lucky knows how much you love him. He'll understand."

"No," Elizabeth insisted, "he won't. He won't understand. You don't know him like I do. You haven't been around him lately. He's not the same as he was before the fire. He needs constant reassurance that I'll never leave him. He thinks me wanting to spend even an hour by myself is my way of saying I don't love him. He thinks my friendship with Jason means I don't want to be with him."

Emily thought back to tonight when Lucky wouldn't let Elizabeth speak for herself. Was this what Jason was trying to tell her earlier. Was Lucky trying to control Elizabeth? "What about Jason?"

Elizabeth stopped pacing. "What about Jason?"

"How do you feel about Jason?" Emily needed to know. If Elizabeth and Lucky weren't the storybook couple she thought they were, then maybe she'd been wrong about Elizabeth's feelings for Jason.

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. How could she put what she felt about Jason into words? She didn't think she could or even if she wanted to. Emily was Jason's sister. She couldn't be objective about this.

"Jason's my friend, nothing more," she said trying to sound as casual as she could.

Emily didn't quite believe her. "Are you sure?"

Elizabeth couldn't believe it. This was the second time tonight that someone questioned her feelings for Jason. First Sonny and now Emily. Did they know something that she didn't?

"You're the second person to ask me that," she told Emily.

"Oh, really. Who else asked you?"

"Sonny came to my rescue with some photographers, and we started talking. I told him I loved Jason as a friend, and he asked if I was sure." She sat back down emotionally drained.

Emily tried to remain calm. "What did you say?"

She gave a small nervous laugh. "Nothing, Carly interrupted us to make her announcement."

"What would you have said?"

Elizabeth was quiet for a long time. Everything was so mixed up inside her. "I don't know," she admitted. "All I know is that I miss him. He was the first person I wanted to see after Carly's big announcement. I don't know how, but I knew he would make everything all right." She shook her head. "But that's wrong, Emily."

Emily was confused. "Why?"

"Because I shouldn't need to run to Jason to feel better. I shouldn't need Jason to make everything all right. I'm with Lucky. Everything is supposed to be perfect. And even if it wasn't, that's what Lucky is for. I should be going to Lucky, but all I do is lie to him about everything."

"Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something. Maybe you really want to be with Jason," Emily suggested.

"No, no, that can't be right," Elizabeth insisted. "Ever since I was 15, I have wanted to be with Lucky. We dreamed of being together."

"Yeah, but then you lost him," Emily interjected. "You met Jason and built a new life without Lucky. You started new dreams. It's okay to have new dreams Elizabeth - dreams change over time."

Elizabeth shook her head. She didn't want to hear this. "Lucky coming back was a miracle. I can't turn away from a miracle. I love him."

Emily wanted to shake Elizabeth until she opened her eyes. "I know you love Lucky, but do you love the Lucky he is now or are you still in love with the old Lucky?"

Elizabeth didn't understand the question. Weren't they the same person? Before she could reply, she heard footsteps at the top of the stairs.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing down there?" Lucky's voice carried to the lower level. "Come back to bed. You need your rest."

Elizabeth looked at Emily then headed upstairs without another word.

Emily took a deep breath. After her talk with Jason, she had wanted to hate Elizabeth for hurting him. But now she couldn't. She could see that Elizabeth was suffering just as much as Jason. And Lucky, she realized, was becoming a control freak. How could she not know what was going on around her? It was time she took off the rose coloured glasses she had about Elizabeth and Lucky. They weren't the perfect couple she thought they were. She was worried about Elizabeth and what would happen when she finally told Lucky the truth.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Elizabeth legs wouldn't move. It felt like she was frozen to the ground. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her. Lucky did not just walk into the building that once housed her rapist's photography studio. This could not be where the photo shoot was to take place. It just couldn't be.

Lucky stuck his head out the door. "Why'd you stop?"

Maybe he didn't know where we were, she thought. "Lucky, do you know what building this is?"

"Yeah, it's where Carly wants to do the shoot." He came out and took her hand. "Come on, you need to get ready."

She couldn't believe it. Lucky didn't know or didn't seem to care. "I don't think I can do this?"

"What do you mean? Of course you can. You're just nervous, but you don't need to be. You're going to be great." He gave her a small pull. She went along not really putting up too much resistance. It was only a building. It couldn't hurt her. She didn't have to be afraid.

It was the same. Everything looked exactly the same. Was that because it really was the same or was she just imaging it? She'd never wanted to come back here again, so what was she doing here? The reason was standing in front of her oblivious to her anxiety.

He directed her to the makeup room and introduced her to Mercedes and Erica. They were going to do her hair and makeup. It seemed to take hours for them to do whatever they needed to do. They pulled and poked and brushed and spritzed and blow-dried. To Elizabeth it was torture. Her fingers itched to draw, but she couldn't move.

When Mercedes and Erica were done, they turned her around to admire their work. Elizabeth felt horrible as she looked at their expectant faces. They wanted her to gush about what a great job they had done, but she couldn't. She hated it. Her face was caked with makeup. It felt stiff. She was afraid to move a muscle in case the foundation cracked and ruined all of their work. She couldn't touch her hair for fear it would fall apart. She was so uncomfortable and it was only the beginning. Wardrobe was next.

When Erica showed her to wardrobe, Elizabeth was hit with another surprise. The only thing hanging on the rack was a red dress. It looked eerily like the dress she had worn many years ago. A dress she had not quite been able to forget. She stopped Erica from leaving and asked her to get Lucky for her.

Lucky found her in the same spot minutes later. "Wow, Elizabeth. You look great," he said unaware of her rigid posture.

"Lucky, I don't want to wear that dress for the photo shoot," she said quietly. "Can we find something else for me to wear?"

He took her hands, "It's only a dress. It won't hurt you. I think you look great in red. You're going to blow them all away with your beauty."

"But can't we get another colour?"

He shook his head. "No, it's been decided that Gia will wear black in her ads and you will wear red. Besides, It's time you stopped letting the past affect you." He glanced at his watch. "Come on, you need to be ready in ten minutes, so get dressed."

Before Elizabeth could argue, he was gone. How could he be so uncaring? How could he not take her feeling into consideration? My God, she was doing all of this for him, and he didn't care that she was unhappy. What am I doing here? Why am I doing this? I love Lucky, she thought. I want to make him happy. She walked over to the dress and felt the fabric. It was beautiful. She'd been wrong. Expect for the colour, it wasn't anything like her old dress. She took a deep breath. It wouldn't be that hard, she thought. It's only going to be for a few hours. She could do this.

Memories engulfed her as she stepped into the dress and pulled it up. She remembered how excited she'd been when Lucky had invited her to the Valentine's Dance, how she had stood in front of her mirror admiring herself and wondering if Lucky would think she was beautiful. She remembered the shock and dismay she'd felt when she'd walked into the decorated gymnasium to see Lucky dancing with her sister. She had run from the room in tears.

They were only memories, she said to herself. They could only hurt if she let them. She finished dressing and made her way to the set. She saw Lucky setting up the cameras and walked towards him not really seeing the backdrop. She smiled to see him so taken up with his knew vocation. Seeing him in this surrounding reinforced her belief that she was doing the right thing.

"My God, you're beautiful," Lucky said.

She flushed. "I'm not sure."

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Well, I'm sure. You're going to be great."

"Are we going to get this started or what?"

Elizabeth turned to see Carly entering the set. She hadn't known Carly was going to be present. This was going to be hard enough as it is. She knew Carly was only going to make it worse.

Carly stopped in front of Elizabeth and gave her the once over. "Well, Liz, you don't look half bad." That was as close to a compliment as Carly could get.

"Thanks, Carly," Elizabeth said sarcastically. "That means a whole lot coming from you."

Carly looked to Lucky. "So, are we going to do this?"

Lucky jumped to attention. "Yeah, let's get started. Elizabeth, I need you over by the bench."

Bench? What bench? She looked across the room to see the backdrop they were going to use. It was a park scene with a wooden bench and light post. This couldn't be happening, she thought. First the building, then the dress and now the park setting. Someone was trying to recreate the night of her rape. She turned to Carly and caught a glint in her eye. Now she understood the look in Carly had given her at the party. Carly wanted to hurt her and she was using her rape to do it. How did Carly know so much about her? Why was she using it to hurt her?

Her feet refused to move. "Lucky, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," he insisted. "Do it for us."

"Do we have a problem here?" Carly was having fun. Her plan was working perfectly. They hadn't even started shooting yet and already Miss Angel was having problem.

"No, no," Lucky replied. "There's no problem. Elizabeth just needs a minute."

"Well, times money so let's get a move on it," she said relishing the look on the younger girl's face.

Lucky pulled Elizabeth aside and spoke quietly so no one could hear. "Don't worry. I'm here," he said. "Noting is going to happen to you."

"But, Lucky, I don't feel comfortable doing this." She waved her hands down the length of her body. "Not any of it."

"This is our dream, Elizabeth. We're almost there. You can't let it go now. You have to go up there and be beautiful." He could see she wasn't going to agree. "Look, just try it for a few minutes. If you still don't feel comfortable, we can stop, okay."

She reluctantly agreed and slowly made her way to the bench. Lucky retrieved his camera and began to take some shots. She was so tense she couldn't move, couldn't smile. She jumped with each camera flash. She felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"She's too stiff. She looks like a statue. Would it hurt her to smile?" Carly's voice came from across the room. "If she can't do it right, there's no point to the competition."

"Elizabeth, try to relax," said Lucky from behind the camera.

Relax? How was she suppose to relax with Carly pointing out everything she was doing wrong? How could she smile when flashes were going off every five seconds blinding her? How could she concentrate when all she saw were images of hands over her mouth? It was like she was reliving the worst night of her life. Her body wasn't going to relax.

"I can't," her voice trembled. She stood and headed back to her change room.

Lucky grabbed her arm as she tried to pass. "A few more minutes, please. You'll see. You just need a few more minutes."

He walked her back to the bench and picked up his camera. A few more minutes made no difference. She could not relax and no matter how long they stayed there she wasn't going to. As much as she didn't want to hurt Lucky, she couldn't force her body to comply.

She was so caught up in her anxiety that she didn't notice the figure coming up behind her. When the hand touched her shoulder, she screamed. Before the man could do anything, Elizabeth has stood and shoved him into the backdrop tearing it. She'd had enough. There was no way she was going to stay and take anymore of Carly's garbage. She stalked over to Carly and punched her in the face knocking her down. She heard Carly yelling "You bitch," but she didn't wait for the fallout. She just headed straight for the exit door. Lucky reached her before she could escape.

"Did you know?" She came out attacking. "Did you know Carly was going to do this?"

"No, I didn't know she had hired a model to come up behind you. How can you think that of me?"

She turned to see the man she shoved getting up and brushing off his tux. In her panic, she hadn't noticed what he was wearing. She felt sorry that she had shoved him. It wasn't his fault that Carly was a bitch and using him to hurt her. She turned her attention back to Lucky. "You knew what building we were coming to before we got here didn't you? You knew about the dress, too and the backdrop. You weren't surprised by any of it."

He didn't say no or yes. He didn't say anything at all, but that was enough. She had gotten her answer. "How could you bring me here knowing what I would have to wear and where I'd have to sit? Did you think about me at all?"

"This is our dream, Elizabeth. I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that."

"No, Lucky, it's your dream. I never wanted any of this. I just wanted you to be happy. Now I could care less." She tried to walk around him but he moved to block her way.

"Get away from me," she yelled.

"You don't mean that," he insisted. "You love me."

"The Lucky I loved wouldn't have put me through this. The Lucky I loved would do anything to make me happy," she said a little stunned. She was seeing Lucky for the first time, and she didn't like what she saw. "I don't even know who you are anymore. You don't love me. You just want to control me."

Lucky tried to grab her arm, "That's not true."

"Don't touch me! It is true. I've just been too stupid to realize it. I kept hoping that if I did everything to make you happy then I would be happy too. But it doesn't work that way. I can't live for you anymore. I have to do what's right for me. And none of this is what I want." She tried once more to pass him, but again he stood in her way.

"I'm not letting you leave me, Elizabeth. You're mine. You can't walk out on me," his face had changed to pure hatred. She couldn't believe this was the same Lucky she fell in love with. For a second she feared him, but then decided she wasn't going to let him control her again.

"Get out of my way." She shoved him out her way and left without looking back.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

She walked for what seemed like hours. She had no clear destination when she left. She walked for the sake of walking. She needed to clear her head. What had become of her life? How did she get to this point? This was not how she had pictured her life with Lucky being. They were supposed to love and respect each other, but that wasn't the case. She was beginning to think he didn't love her. He certainly didn't respect her. If Lucky felt either, he wouldn't have let today happen. He didn't think of her at all. He only thought of their dream. She was so sick of their dream. It was more like a nightmare. How could she have let this happen? When did she stop making her own decisions?

When Lucky came back.

She'd been so happy. Her prayers had been answered. Lucky had returned to her. Since then she had done everything to make sure he didn't leave her again. She took his rejection. She took his possessive behaviour. She stopped painting. She lied and kept her feelings to herself. She took his insults and blamed herself when Lucky got angry with her. She turned Jason away. Slowly without realizing it, she'd let Lucky control her life. She thought about what Jason and Emily had tried to tell her, but she'd refused to listen. She remembered Emily's question. Did she love the Lucky who he was today or was in still clinging to the Lucky she remembered? A week ago, she'd been confidant of her answer. Now she wasn't so sure. She didn't know anything any more.

Without realizing it she found herself standing in front a door. There wasn't anything special about the door expect for the man she hoped was behind it. She knocked before she could change her mind. She waited for him to answer the door, but he didn't appear. He wasn't home. A feeling of despair washed through her. She wanted to laugh but knew she'd end up crying. What did she expect? Did she really think he would be sitting around waiting for her? She'd told him they couldn't be friends. Why would he even want to see her, anyway?

She turned and ran straight into someone coming up the stairs. She couldn't deal with other people right now. She needed to get out of there and find someplace to go, only she didn't know where. Hands reached out to steady her. She looked up and saw the face that had been in her dreams for two weeks.

"Jason," she cried and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're here."

Jason just stood there unsure of what to do. He wasn't even sure if Elizabeth was in his arms. His mind had played tricks on him before. Over the last two weeks, he'd seen her in many places – sometimes at Jake's, or by his bike, or even at the warehouse. She would smile and hold her hand out to him, but whenever he reached out to take it, she would disappear. This time was different. This time she was in his arms holding him like she never wanted to let go. It must be real or else his mind was more brain damaged than he thought. he realized Jason wasn't really hugging her back. This was her fault. She was the one to end their friendship. He was probably trying to figure out what she was doing there in a red evening gown. There was an awkward silence where neither moved. Jason finally decided to open his door and go inside. Once there, he turned realizing that Elizabeth was still standing in the hall a look of apprehension on her face.

"You want to come in?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she said as she entered. She had never been in Jason's room before. There wasn't much to it. He only had the bare necessities – a bed, a desk 2 chairs and a dresser. Only the travel books on the desk came from Jason. "Doesn't even look like you live here," she commented.

He shrugged, "Yeah, I don't have a lot of stuff." He could see she was upset about something. "You want to go for a ride?"

She smiled, "I can't, not in the stupid dress. I don't mean stupid. It's beautiful. It's elegant. It's suppose to transform me."

He wasn't sure if he heard sarcasm in her tone or not. "Into what?"

She twirled around. "The most beautiful woman in the world. What do you think?"

"You don't need anything to make you beautiful," he said matter-of-factly. "Are you going to a party?" He couldn't understand why she was so dressed up in the middle on the day.

She laughed at his expression. "A costume party? No, I ran out of a photo shoot."

He began to see the problem. "Did something happen?"

She sat on the edge of the bed. "Someone happened, more like it. I let Carly get to me."

"What does Carly have to do with it?"

"You remember the whole Face of Deception thing?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, today was the first shoot for Carly's new campaign. She set the whole thing up. She picked the location, the dress, and the backdrop. It was all her. I knew she was up to something, but I didn't think she would do something so hurtful."

"I don't understand."

"She recreated the night of my rape right down to the bushes and a man coming up behind me." Tears began to form in her eyes. "It was awful. I jumped at each camera flash. I couldn't stop the memories from coming back. It was like I was there. I could feel his hand over my mouth and the cold ground on my back. I could hear my dress ripping." The tears were following. Once she started they wouldn't stop. "Why would she do that? How could she hurt me like that?"

He moved to stand beside her and reached out his hand to her. At first she didn't move, but then she placed her hand in his. He gave her a gentle pull and took her into his arms.

As much as she wanted to stay in his arms forever, she stepped away and sat back down.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She was stunned, "For what? You didn't have anything to do with it."

He sighed, "Carly hates you because of me, because you helped me when I turned her away. I never thought she would do anything to hurt you."

"Jason, this is not your fault. You didn't make Carly do anything. She did this all on her own with a little help from Lucky."

"What?"

"He knew all about her plans. Maybe not the part about the man but everything else. He didn't seem to care about my feelings. As soon as we entered the building I didn't want to go through with it. I knew something was wrong, but I let Lucky talk me into it. God, I only did this modelling thing for him and then he let me go through that. I looked at him today and it was like I was seeing him for the first time. I didn't like what I was seeing. You were right, Jason. I'm not living the life I want. I don't know what I want anymore." She wiped the tears away from her cheeks leaving her gloved hands covered with mascara. "Oh, I must look terrible. My face feels like all porcelain, like they painted on the makeup and then baked it in."

Jason looked to his bathroom. "I'll get you something to wash it off." What did this mean? Was she having doubts about her feelings for Lucky? Why did she come here? What did it mean?

He returned with a washcloth, but instead of handing it to her, he knelt and took her face his in hand. "All right, close your eyes." He placed the cloth on her eyelid and gently began to wipe. She was so beautiful, he thought. He wished he could wipe her pain away as easily as the makeup on her face.

"Don't be afraid. Just scrub because I want this stuff off in the worst way, okay?"

They were quiet while Jason continued wiping the makeup off her face. She opened her eyes to see his blue ones staring back at her. They seemed to look right inside her very soul. She didn't think she could hide anything from him. She broke the connection and let her eyes travel over his face. They rested on his lips. She remember how they felt on hers, how it felt to kiss him. She had dreamed of his mouth on her lips and other parts of her body. She licked her lower lip knowing she was only inches from making her dreams a reality. At that moment she wanted to forget about everything and everyone and just be with him. Before she could think herself out of it, she leaned over and kissed him.

Jason was too surprised to respond. What was happening? He pulled away just enough to look at her. He searched her eyes for an intense moment. He saw the desire in her eyes. She wanted him, forever or just for the night, he wasn't sure. He didn't think she knew. He probably shouldn't. She wasn't thinking clearly. When she was, he knew she would regret whatever was about to happen. He should step away and tell her to leave, but he couldn't. He had wanted this for so long, he wasn't strong enough to fight against it.

He lowered his mouth but not to hers. Instead, he kissed each eyelid before claiming her mouth. It was just like she remembered, even more so. The hunger engulfed them and when she opened her mouth, he deepened the kiss. He kissed her as if he couldn't get enough of her… and she moaned matching him kiss for kiss. But soon kissing wasn't enough. She needed to feel him. She wanted to feel his skin on hers. Her hands moved between them down to his waist. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it up his chest. She caressed his exposed skin while he trailed his mouth down her neck. He continued his oral assault easing the gown's spaghetti strap off her shoulder. When he was done with the one side, he turned to the other then moved back to her mouth.

He gently pushed her back on the bed. She tugged on his shirt forcing him to stop his exploration of her mouth to raise and remove it. He threw it to the ground and devoured her mouth again. He wanted to explore every part of her. He rolled them and reached for the zipper of her dress.

The sound snapped her back to reality. What was she doing? Only hours ago she was fighting with Lucky and now she was about to have sex with Jason. She pushed herself off of him and moved away from the bed. She kept her back to him. She couldn't face him.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I don't know what I'm doing." Her body was on fire. It screamed for her to rejoin Jason on the bed and give in to the desire ragging through her, but she couldn't. She couldn't use Jason that way.

Jason covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. He needed to get his body under control. When he spoke, his voice was calm. "Okay."

Elizabeth's emotions were all over the place. How could Jason be so calm, as if nothing had happened? "Okay? That's it? Just 'okay'."

He stood and bent to retrieve his shirt. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"I have no idea." She practically fell into the chair, her legs refusing to hold her up. She buried her head in her hands unable to look at him. "Oh, God, What is wrong with me?"

He knelt beside her and held her chin forcing her to look at him. "Nothing, Elizabeth, nothing. There is nothing wrong with you."

She didn't believe him. "Oh, so it's okay for me to come here after I told you we couldn't be friends. It's okay for me to cry all over you and throw myself at you and then change my mind?"

"Yeah."

"How can you say that, Jason? Ever since you came back all I've done is give you mixed signals. I'm not being fair to you," she said as a lone tear fell down her face.

"I decide what's fair for me," he said wiping away the tear with his thumb.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I was upset. I ran out not knowing where I was going. I just knew I had to leave. I don't know how it happened, but I ended up here and I knew. I knew this was where I wanted to be. With you. I've missed you so much. I didn't think it would be so hard to stay away from you. Every day I would think about you and wonder what you were doing. If anything happened, you were the first person I wanted to tell. I'm sorry I didn't value our friendship more. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know you didn't. That's why I've kept my distance. I didn't want to cause you any more trouble with Lucky," he told her softly. "I just want you to be happy."

"Why would you even care after everything I've put you through?"

Jason couldn't speak. He didn't know what her reaction would be if he told her the truth. Would she run from him or take his hand? He had to take the chance. "I love you, Elizabeth. I have for a long time. I would do anything to make you happy."

It was her turn to be speechless. Jason loved her. He loved her. No he couldn't love her, not that way. She waited for the panic and anxiety to hit her, but it didn't come. Where was the impulse to run? Instead of fear all she felt was joy.

Looking into his eyes and seeing the love he felt there made everything clear to her. All the confusion she'd felt seemed to disappear. She loved him. She was in love with Jason. Everything seemed to make sense. She should have seen it before now. There were so many clues – why she couldn't stay away from her studio when Jason was hiding out, how devastated she'd felt when she thought he was going to die, how she thought her heart had been ripped out of her chest in the alley the last time they spoke.

Emily was right. She didn't love the Lucky he was now. She loved the memory. That's why it was so hard to be with him. She had been so caught up in trying to reclaim her lost love that she hadn't realized she didn't love him anymore. She hadn't in a long time, maybe before he even returned. She had let go of Lucky and moved on without knowing it. Had Lucky not returned she probably would have realized it sooner. She remembered when Jason returned the first time. She had run to him full of happiness that he was back. She was probably in love with him then, but Lucky had gotten in the way. Looking up at Jason, she realized she had wasted so much time.

Jason didn't know what to do. The longer she remained silent the worse he felt. It couldn't be a good sign. He stood and moved to the desk. She was going to tell him she wanted to be with Lucky. He wasn't sure he could hear that one more time.

"Jason, I love you, too," she said in a quiet voice.

He was afraid to turn around for fear his ears were playing tricks on him. He flinched when her hand touched his shoulder. He reluctantly turned to face her.

"I love you, too," she repeated her voice was steady and determined.

She sounded sure but still he couldn't quite believe it. "Are you sure?"

She smiled. The pressure and heaviness around her heart lessoned. Yes, this was what she wanted. "More than anything else in my life. I want to be with you, Jason. You make me happy. I love you. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to figure it out."

"It doesn't matter. None of that matters now," he said before claiming her mouth with his.

This kiss was slow and sweet filled with love and promise. When she felt he would deepen the kiss, she pulled away. "We need to slow down," she said gasped breathless. "Everything is happening so fast."

He nodded. He didn't want to rush her. It was enough that she loved him. Everything else would come in time. "Tell me what you want to do."

"I need to talk to Lucky before we do anything."

He sighed to mask his sudden fear. Would she change her mind when she saw him? For a second he felt possessive. He wanted her to stay away from Lucky. He didn't want her to go anywhere near him. He suppressed that feeling. He knew she had to face Lucky. It was the chance he had to take. She needed to stand up to Lucky and deal with their relationship without the lies and the fear. It would either fix their problems and they would stay together, or it would allow her to close that part of her life to begin something with him. He was hoping for the latter. "Okay, I understand. Will you meet me later? We can go for a ride."

She smiled. Jason was so accepting. That was one of the things she loved most about him. "There isn't anything I'd like more than to go for a ride with you."

She fixed her dress and hair while Jason called her a cab. They descended to stairs hand in hand and waited for the cab to arrive. She reached up to kiss him one last time before entering the taxi. "I'll see you later."

Jason waited until the taxi drove away before heading to his bike. He needed to talk to Sonny and Carly. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice the person stepping out the shadows to trail behind him.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Elizabeth entered Kelly's from the back alley. She didn't want anyone to see her. She needed to change and then talk to Lucky. The sooner she did the better it would be for her and for Lucky. He may not realize it but she knew she was doing the right thing. He would only end up hating her later when they relationship didn't work out. She managed to make it to her room without too many stares. She removed the gown and selected jeans and a sweater for tonight's ride with Jason. She wished she could throw the gown in the trash, but she knew Laura and Carly wouldn't be too happy if she did. The gown probably cost more money than she'd ever made working at Kelly's. If it was just Carly, Elizabeth would tear up the gown and send it back to her in a gift-wrapped box, but she couldn't do that to Laura.

She stared at herself in the mirror. She was happy. She smiled and it covered her whole face. Gone were the sad eyes and the fake smile. For the first time in a long time she didn't have to pretend. She was happy, truly happy.

* * *

Jason opened the penthouse door to see Carly sitting on the couch with an ice pack on her face. He smiled thinking of Elizabeth punching her in the face. 

"What are you so happy about?" Carly's face hurt to talk.

He approached her with his arms crossed. "I'm just imagining Elizabeth punching you in the face."

"Oh, what? Did she go running to you and cry the victim?" She stood to face him. "Look at me, Jason. I'm the victim."

"Carly, you made her relive the worst moment of her life and you say you're the victim. You're lucky a punch was all she did. What could she have possibly done to warrant that?" Sometimes he wondered what possessed her to do the things she did.

She could see he wasn't going to believe it was Elizabeth's fault. "She deserved it, Jason, after the way she hurt you."

He sighed. He knew this was about him. Why couldn't Carly stay out of his life? "You don't know what you're talking about."

Now that she had started, she couldn't stop. "I overheard you talking to Sonny at the hospital. I know you love her and that she turned you away to be with my idiot of a cousin. Did you think I would just let it go? She deserved everything she got for the way she hurt you."

Jason grabbed both of her arms. He had never been this angry at Carly before, not even when she had married AJ. "You don't have the right to judge Elizabeth and her decisions. You don't have the right to do what you did to her for what you think she did to me."

Carly stared into the cold menacing eyes. Jason had never looked at her like that before. She felt a moment of fear, but would not give in to it. "She did hurt you, I know it. I don't understand what you see in her. She's not good enough for you."

He released her and crossed the room. He needed to put distance between them before he did something he wouldn't normally do. "That is not your decision. This is my life, Carly, and if I want Elizabeth in my life then she will be."

"What?" Carly wasn't sure if she had heard that right. "Please tell me you did not just say you are going to let that little twit back into your life."

"Carly." His voice was full of warning.

"For the past two weeks, you have been suffering because of that girl. There is no way I'm going to let that go. There is no way I'm going to be okay with her being in your life."

He sighed. "When are you going to understand that you don't have a say in my life? I love you, but if you continue to make trouble for Elizabeth then you and I won't be friends anymore."

"I can't believe this." Carly was stunned. Jason was going to end their friendship over Elizabeth Webber. He couldn't be serious. She studied him for a long moment. She could see he meant what he said. "She means that much to you?"

"Yes, she does," he admitted.

She didn't think she could do it. She couldn't be nice to Elizabeth. She had spent the past year hating her and blaming her for everything that had gone wrong between her and Jason, even though she knew it wasn't Elizabeth's fault. Carly only had herself to blame for hurting Jason last year, and if she persisted she would only have herself to blame for hurting him now. As hard as it would be, she knew she had to put her feeling foe Elizabeth aside. If she didn't she would lose Jason, and she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't live without him.

"Okay. For you, I'll try to be nice to her," she said.

"You will apologise to her for what you did," he pushed.

"What!"

"Carly."

"Fine," she relented. "I'll apologise and be nice to her from now on. But if she does anything to hurt you again then all bets are off. You better tell her that because if she hurts you again, I'll make her life a living hell. Are we still friends?"

He was quiet for a moment. Carly was going to be Carly no matter what he did. He knew what she was like when he met her. She wasn't going to change now. Not that he wanted her to change. She just needed to respect Elizabeth and his decisions. "Carly, you don't have to worry about me."

"Yes, I do," she insisted. "Jason, I'm finally happy. Sonny and I are together and with Michael, we've made a family. I want you to have everything I do. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy, so please just let me handle my own life."

"Okay, I'll try. I'll leave Elizabeth alone. I love you, you know that right?"

He nodded and hugged her. "I love you, too."

* * *

Elizabeth stood in front of Lucky's office at Deception. So far she'd checked his room at Kelly's and her studio but hadn't found him. Deception was her next stop. She figured he'd come back here after the photo shoot. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She knocked again, but no one answered the door. Maybe he was in his darkroom and didn't hear her knocking. She tried the knob and opened the door. She looked around before heading for the darkroom. 

"Lucky," she called out. The red light wasn't on, so she knew she could go in without damaging any film. He wasn't there. She wondered where he could be. She picked up the phone and called Laura. She didn't know where he was either. Neither did Nikolas, Gia or Emily. A feeling went through her that she couldn't identify. Something bad was about to happen, she thought. She rushed through the door. She needed to see Jason.

* * *

Jason walked quickly through the park on his way to the hospital. Carly told him Sonny was at a doctor's appointment checking out his arm. Jason needed to see him and inform him that Jason would be making Max Elizabeth's guard. He was worried about Lucky. Elizabeth might not admit it, but he knew Lucky was not going to take their break up well. He feared Lucky was going to do something to Elizabeth. She needed to have a guard on her until he could deal with Lucky himself. 

He cut through the field and was about to exit the park when he sensed something was wrong.

"Don't move," said a voice came from behind.

Jason recognised the voice and knew it wasn't some punk who didn't realize he was attempting to mug Jason Morgan. He turned to face the man Elizabeth had wanted to sacrifice her happiness for. "What do you want?"

Lucky stood just out of reach of Jason with a gun in his hand. "You out of Elizabeth's life," he sneered. "I warned you before to stay away from her, but I guess you're too stupid to understand. Elizabeth is my girlfriend. She belongs to me."

Jason remained silent. He was relieved. Lucky wasn't going to hurt Elizabeth. He was going after him, but Jason didn't want to get into this with Lucky here. The park was too open. The potential for witnesses was too great. He needed to get control of the situation. He needed to get the gun away from Lucky. He made a quick scan of the surrounding area. If someone came by, there was no telling what Lucky might do.

Lucky mistook Jason's silence for fear. He loved the idea of scaring Sonny Corinthos' number one enforcer. "I'm going to make sure you can't go near Elizabeth again."

He raised the gun and was about to pull the trigger when a voice yelled, "No!"

Elizabeth came running down the steps towards the two men. "Lucky, what are you doing?"

"Elizabeth, leave. I don't want you to get hurt," Jason spoke before Lucky could reply to her question. He was worried Lucky would turn his attention on her.

"Oh, isn't that touching," Lucky said sarcastically. "Jason Morgan protector till the end."

Elizabeth wasn't going to leave. They were in this situation because of her. She needed to fix this. She needed to get Lucky to put down the gun before someone got hurt. "Lucky, please put the gun down," she begged. "We'll go to Kelly's and talk, okay."

"No, Elizabeth. I know what you want to talk about. I know you were with him today. I followed you from the studio. You broke your promise to me. You can't go running to Jason every time you're upset. You're supposed to come to me. If you can't do that, if he is too tempting, then I'll remove the temptation."

Elizabeth took a step closer to Jason. "Killing Jason won't make me come to you. Please, let's go back to my studio and we'll talk about this."

Jason wanted to argue. He didn't want her going anywhere with Lucky. He couldn't keep her safe if she left with him. Looking at Lucky, Jason could see he was capable of anything at that moment. He wasn't willing to give Lucky an opportunity to hurt Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, please. You need to leave before something happens. I've got this under control."

"You really are stupid, Morgan," Lucky snarled. "I'm the one in control. I have the gun." He raised his hand again ready to pull the trigger. He didn't care if Elizabeth was present. It was probably better this way, he thought. Then she couldn't pretend it didn't happen.

"Lucky, no," she cried again. "You can't do this."

"He is getting in the way of our dreams. Can't you see that? I've already warned him but he won't listen. I won't let him destroy our future together."

Elizabeth took another step closer to Jason. She didn't want to have this discussion like this but couldn't see any alternative. "Lucky, I've tried to be the person you want me to be, but I can't do it. I'm sorry but I'm not in love with you. I was in love with a memory not the real you."

Lucky shook his head. "You're lying. Jason is making you say that. We promised each other forever, remember. He's trying to control you. Once he's gone, you'll love me again."

"No, I won't," she said more harshly than she intended. "We are not the same people we were when we made that promise. We were children. We didn't know what would happen when we left the church and stepped into the real world. We didn't know we'd be separated for a year. We grew apart."

"We didn't grow apart," he shouted. "I was kept prisoner by a psycho old woman and a deranged man. They tried to brainwash me. I was tortured and beaten almost everyday. The only thing that kept me going was you. I fought to come back to you, so we could live out those dreams we promised each other. I'm not going to let this brain damaged thug get in the way of that. I love you."

Tears filled her eyes thinking of all the hell he had gone through. "You don't love me. You love the picture you made up in your head. I can't be that person, Lucky."

"Yes, you can," he insisted. "You are that person. Jason's just confusing you. He's manipulating you. Can't you see that? He wants to take you away from me."

Jason could see Lucky was reaching his limit. He needed to act soon before Lucky lost it completely. He had to find the right moment to grab the gun. He was just worried about Elizabeth. She was too close. If he made a mistake, she was in the direct line of fire.

Elizabeth couldn't believe this was Lucky. Where was the man she had pledged undying love to that Valentine's Day in the church? How could she have not seen how troubled he was? Did she just close her eyes to his problems because she was so happy to have him back in her life? Had she been so afraid to stand up for herself that she was willing to ignore the warning signs he had given her? She thought of his insane jealousy of Sonny and his constant need for reassurance about her love. If she hadn't been so afraid to tell him the truth, she might have realized sooner that there was something wrong with Lucky. She needed to finally tell the truth and make Lucky see that he needed to get help.

"I haven't been honest with you. I've been lying to you for months before Jason even came back. I don't want to be a model Lucky. I don't want that dream. That was your dream and I was too afraid to tell you the truth. I don't want my picture used to advertise perfume. Jason didn't manipulate me into changing my mind. He's just given me the courage to say what I couldn't before. He's reminded me what I was giving up to make you happy." She paused to see if Lucky was really listening to her. "I was giving up myself to be with you, and I can't do that anymore. I realized I fell in love with Jason when you were dead. I'm sorry, but we can't live in the past anymore. We have to move on. If you search your heart, you'll see that I'm right. You don't love me. You haven't for a long time."

Lucky refused to listen, "No, we said we would always be together. A permanent lock. You'll see. When Jason's gone, you'll see that we are meant to be together."

Elizabeth yelled, "No", just as Lucky pulled the trigger.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Lucky pointed the gun at Jason and pulled the trigger. Before Jason could stop her, Elizabeth ran in front of him falling into his arms as the bullet entered her body. Lucky cried out and dropped to his knees. Jason ignored him and laid Elizabeth gently on the ground. Her sweater was already covered in blood.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth. You have to open your eyes." He took off his jacket and used it to apply pressure to her wound.

Her eyes slowly opened. "Jason," she whispered. She raised her hand to his cheek and tried to smile. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't catch her breath. Her hand fell to the ground as she lost consciousness.

"No, Elizabeth, you need to stay awake," Jason shouted taking her face in his hands. She had stopped breathing. He reached for his cell phone to call an ambulance.

He tried to find a pulse and couldn't. Without thinking he began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation pumping air into her lungs. He needed to keep her breathing. He continued until a hand touched his shoulder. "Sir, you have to step away. We need to look at her," said a paramedic.

Jason stopped and looked around. The ambulance had arrived and two paramedics were waiting for him to move away and let them do their job. He hadn't even heard the sirens. He stood giving the paramedics space to work on her. He noticed people nearby watching the events. How long had they been there? Did they see the whole shooting or did they arrive after? Elizabeth would hate this, he thought. She wouldn't like knowing these people were seeing her at her weakest moment.

He looked at the blood on his hands. Elizabeth's blood. He couldn't think, couldn't move. All he could do was stare helplessly while the paramedics tried to keep her alive.

He snapped out of his trance when he realized they were placing her into the ambulance. He moved to join her. When the paramedic refused, he grabbed him and shoved him up against the ambulance door. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight. The paramedic reluctantly agreed.

Jason held her hand the entire way to the hospital. She arrested twice during the journey. The paramedic was forced to shock her to get her heart beating each time. In his mind, it didn't seem real. He was in the back of an ambulance with Elizabeth clinging to life, but he felt separate from everything. It was like he was dreaming. He thought if he reached out she would disappear like his other dreams. He touched her cheek. She didn't disappear.

He followed the gurney into the emergency room of General Hospital refusing to break his connection with her. The paramedics recited her vital statistics, but he just concentrated on her. Her eyes had not opened since that first time. Her skin was pale and lifeless. She barely resembled the smiling happy woman who had kissed him goodbye only two hours ago at Jake's.

Two orderlies were needed to pry his hands apart and keep him from entering the trauma room. He wasn't allowed passed the doors. Instead he could only stare through the window at the doctors and nurses working to save her life. He worried they were trying for nothing. She's dead he wanted to scream. He didn't want them butchering her beautiful body if she was already dead.

"Jason?" Bobbie came up behind him. "Are you all right?" She saw the blood on his clothes and hands. "What happened?"

He couldn't tear his eyes from the window. "Elizabeth was shot." His voice was devoid of emotion. He sounded as if this happened everyday.

"What? Where's Lucky? Does he know?" She didn't wait for a reply. She entered the room to see where she was needed.

Jason wanted to laugh. Does Lucky know? Lucky shot her. Anger began to break through the nothingness he was feeling. He wanted to kill Lucky. His hands clenched into fists. Had Lucky been standing beside him, he would have ripped him apart with his bare hands.

He couldn't remember what happened to Lucky after Elizabeth was shot. He was sure he wasn't there when the ambulance arrived. He must have run off when Jason was trying to keep Elizabeth alive. He wanted to hunt him down. He wanted to spend days punishing Lucky for hurting Elizabeth, but he wouldn't. She wouldn't have wanted him to hurt Lucky. She would never forgive him if he caused Lucky's death.

The doors flew open as they brought her out. They didn't stop. They rushed her to the elevators. He was able to only catch a glimpse of her before the elevator closed. A hand touched his shoulder. Bobbie had stayed behind to let him know what was happening.

"They're taking her up to surgery, Jason," she said removing her mask. "The bullet is lodged near her aorta, and they need to remove it before it causes anymore damage."

"Will she be okay?"

She gave a sad smile. "I don't know. She's lost a lot of blood. Her heart is weak. They need to go in and find out just how much damage the bullet has done to it. If she makes it through the surgery, that will be a good sign. Why don't you go up to the surgical waiting area? One of the doctors will see you as soon as the surgery is over. I need to go call Audrey and Lucky. They'll want to know what's happened."

He watched her leave not sure what he should do. He couldn't sit in a waiting room until the doctor showed his face. He couldn't handle it. The hospital walls seemed to be closing in on him. He needed air. He needed to feel the wind on his face and get control of his emotions. Since the accident, he had spent his life keeping his emotions in check. At the time they were the only things he had control over. Now he couldn't. He felt lost. Without her he didn't have any direction. He wanted to run but he didn't know where to run to. He couldn't leave her, but he couldn't stay there.

He took the stairs two at a time to the roof. It was the next best thing to being on his motorcycle he could think of. He could feel the wind on his face and stare out to the water. He used to come up here after he came out of his coma. Whenever he couldn't handle another visitor, he would escape to the roof to hide out. He didn't know if they had looked for him, but he knew they never found him up there. He would sit for hours staring out to the water trying to figure out who he was and how he fit into his family domain since he couldn't remember them. The water always gave him a sense of peace. It had calmed him allowing him to face his family without breaking anything.

As he stared out over the water he waited for the calm to come, but it didn't. All he could see was Elizabeth's blood soaked body. She couldn't die. Without her he didn't think he could live. His body would function, but he would be dead inside. He would live in the nothingness that was his life before Elizabeth entered it. Was this what she felt when she had lost Lucky in the fire? Was this the torment she had gone through? This despair that his life was over. Was that what had driven her to go to Jake's that night? He understood her need to feel anything but the pain of losing the one you loved. He wished he could feel anything but this nothingness that encased his heart.

Tears fell down his cheeks, but he did nothing to stop them. He needed to suffer. Elizabeth was struggling to live because of him. His selfish desire to be with her was going to kill her. He thought of all the people who had warned her to stay away from him. They were right. He did only bring her pain and misery. If she died, he would be the one who killed her. He shouldn't have come back. Her life was perfect before he entered it. He selfishly thought he knew what was right for her. He thought she was living a lie, but it was better to live a lie then die with the truth wasn't it.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed on the roof, but when he finally made his way to the surgical waiting area, it was with purpose. He needed to know how she was then he was going to leave. He didn't want to cause her anymore pain. He needed to protect her from him.

He stopped by the nurses' desk when he saw who was in the waiting area. Audrey and Laura clung to each other both deep in tears. Luke was trying desperately to console them without much success. They were inconsolable. Sonny and Carly sat across from them quiet mourning in their own way. The scene told him everything he needed to know. Elizabeth was dead. They wouldn't be this distraught if she had survived the surgery. For a second his heart stopped beating.

Sonny must have said something to set Luke off. He left his grieving wife and grabbed Sonny shoving him up against the wall. Jason couldn't understand what could cause Luke to attack Sonny. None of this was Sonny's fault. He was to blame for Elizabeth's death, not Sonny, not Carly, not Lucky, but him. He would have to live with that knowledge the rest of his life.

"Oh my God," Laura whispered seeing Jason standing in front of her covered in blood. "You murderer," she yelled rushing over to strike him. Jason didn't defend himself. He stood letting her hit him repeatedly. It was only the first in many punishments he deserved.

Carly grabbed Laura's arms and pulled her away from him. He almost told her 'no, let her continue', but he couldn't say anything. What was there to say? He was standing with Elizabeth's blood on his hands. Laura was right. He was a murderer.

Before Laura or anyone else could do anything, Taggert approached him. Jason hadn't even seen the detective standing by the wall. He'd been too focused on the people mourning Elizabeth to notice the other people near the waiting area.

"Jason Morgan," Taggert came up behind him handcuffs in his hands, "you're under arrest for the murder of Lucky Spencer and the attempted murder of Elizabeth Webber. You have the right…"

Jason didn't hear a word. He didn't care what Taggert had to say. Elizabeth was dead. Anything Taggert had to say was unimportant. He didn't resist as Taggert handcuffed him. He could hear Audrey's sobbing and Sonny and Carly yelling at Taggert, but couldn't see them. All he saw was Elizabeth smiling face, and knew he would never see it again. Elizabeth was dead. Taggert pushed him towards the elevators. Sonny was telling him Alexis would meet him at the station, but he didn't want Alexis there. He wasn't going to fight the charge. Elizabeth was dead. It didn't matter what happened to him.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"I wondered how long it would take for you to show up," Taggert said sipping his coffee. "Tell me, Alexis, do you ever get tired of defending this man? How many people does he have to kill before you stop playing ignorant and realize he's not worth your talent?"

Alexis sighed. She'd heard this argument too many times to count. She didn't need to get into this again with the detective. She just wanted to see her client. Of all the times she'd defended Jason, this was the first time she truly believed he was innocent. There was no way in hell Jason could have hurt Elizabeth. She was sure he loved her. She couldn't see him shooting her or Lucky either for that matter.

"I'd like to see my client," she said with determination.

"Where is he?" Carly came barging into the police station with Sonny following behind her. "I demand to see him."

Sonny had tried to get her to calm down in the limo, but Carly wouldn't listen. He didn't like what was going on either, but they needed to keep clear heads. Jason needed them to be level headed and find out a way to solve this problem. Above all, Sonny needed to know what really happened. He knew Jason, knew that he would never have harmed Elizabeth. Jason didn't have it in him.

"Carly, calm down," he said touching her shoulder.

She swung around and stared at him like he was the enemy. "What? I will not calm down. Jason's been arrested on a trumped up charge, and I'm not going to let this corrupt police department get away with it."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Corinthos," Taggert responded trying to sound respectful but the underlying anger could be heard. "The evidence speaks for itself. Jason Morgan shot Elizabeth Webber in cold blood and then went hunting for Lucky Spencer. You coming here and yelling isn't going to change those facts. I suggest you sit quietly or else I'll have you removed from the building."

She was about to reply when Sonny clamped a hand over her mouth. "Taggert, please excuse my wife. She's understandably upset over Jason's arrest and her cousin's death. She will be quiet from now on or I'll remove her myself." He gave her a pointed look that she couldn't ignore. She raised her hand agreeing to stay silent. She wanted to see Jason, and if causing trouble was going to prevent that, she would keep quiet.

Taggert nodded and looked at the crime boss. As much as he wanted it to, he knew Jason's arrest couldn't be used to bring Sonny down. Corinthos wasn't involved with this. Shooting Elizabeth and Lucky was personal not business related. "I'm afraid Morgan isn't allowed any visitors right now," he smiled knowing Corinthos couldn't fix this problem. Even if he couldn't get the boss, his second in command was just as good. Corinthos was nothing without Morgan. Once he was in jail Corinthos would soon follow.

"He can see me," Alexis insisted. She had stayed quiet during Carly's disruption contemplating her defence. First she needed to talk to her client.

Taggert waved his hand towards the interrogation room door. "Be my guest."

Alexis entered unsure what to expect. Jason sat motionless staring at something – she wasn't sure what – on the table. His face was devoid of any emotion. He wore prison blues. His shirt had been taken as evidence. "Jason?" When she got no reply, she called him again. "Jason?" She touched his arm to snap him out of wherever he was. When he still didn't respond, she feared there was something wrong with him.

"Why are you here?" His voiced matched his expression. His eyes were fixed on a coffee stain on the table, but he wasn't really seeing the stain. In his mind he was seeing Elizabeth's body as she was struck by the bullet. It was on a continuous loop in his mind.

"Sonny called me," she said talking as if she were speaking to a child.

"You've wasted a trip. I don't need you this time."

"What do you mean?" She had never seen Jason like this before. This wasn't his usual empty stare he used when he didn't want to answer a question. He looked dejected, like a man who'd lost everything he possessed in the world.

"I don't need you, Alexis. I'm guilty," he said quietly.

She shook her head sure she hadn't heard correctly. "No, Jason. I know you. You couldn't have done this."

He flashed her an angry look. It was the first show of emotion she'd seen from him. "You don't know me. I've killed many people. You just don't want to admit it. Your conscience couldn't handle getting me off each time if you did."

He was partially right. She did like to live in ignorance of what he did, but deep down she knew and she accepted it. She was just as involved in this business as he was. She just like to pretend her hands were clean since she'd never pulled the trigger. She used her skill as a lawyer to protect Sonny and Jason from prosecution. That was her role, and she wasn't going to be sorry for it. In any other mob hit, she wouldn't care if he were guilty or not. She would just do her job. But this wasn't an ordinary mob hit. She knew Jason wasn't capable of what Taggert had accused him of.

She grabbed his hand with hers urging him to see the truth. "Jason, you didn't do this. I know it. It's not in you. You kill for business not personal. You do not have it in you to kill for your own purposes, especially hurting Elizabeth. There is no way you can convince me you wanted to hurt her. I know you love her." She stared at him amazed as tears began to form in his eyes. "Please tell me what happened," she pleaded.

"I killed her. She's dead because of me," he whispered.

"What? No, Jason …" she wanted to continue but Taggert entered with a file in his hand.

"Forensics' preliminary report is in. I only have a few questions for your client." He sat across from them and opened the file. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was struck dumb by the sight in front of him. Jason Morgan, mob enforcer and hit man had tears running down his face. Taggert hadn't thought the man was capable of such emotion. He had such despair it hurt Taggert to look at him. For a second he felt sympathy until he remembered to whom it was directed to. Morgan didn't need anyone's sympathy. What he needed was to be punished for his crimes.

"Here's how it went down. You wanted Elizabeth. You've had a thing for her for years, haven't you? Everyone knows it. Two Christmases ago, the two of you had something going on, but you left, probably some business for Corinthos. Someone he needed you to kill."

"Detective," Alexis interrupted.

"Sorry." Taggert gave her an innocent look. "Now you're back, but she's with Spencer. You wanted him out of the way, so you cornered him at the docks. He was shot at close range with a 22 mm automatic, died almost instantly from reports. A dockworker found him earlier this evening in a pool of blood. Forensics is working on time of death. They tell me he put up a fight before dying. His arms and hands were covered with bruises consistent with a struggle, probably for the gun." Taggert paused to stare directly at Jason. "Did you get too close? Or was it like Sorel? Did you feel the need to beat Lucky until he was unrecognizable before you killed him?" He waited for a response but knew he wouldn't get anything.

"Either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is that forensics is searching the body with a fine-toothed comb looking for anything you may have left behind. We just need a tiny portion of DNA and you'll be toast," he smiled.

"When you were finished with Lucky Spencer, you went looking for Elizabeth. I know you're brain damaged, but did you really think you could kill her boyfriend and she would come running to you? You did, didn't you? You found her in the park and told her you two would be together. She resisted, told you she loved Lucky and you went crazy. You shot her because she wouldn't go with you. Am I right?"

"Taggert, you can't seriously think Jason shot Elizabeth," Alexis insisted. "He called for an ambulance. He was giving mouth to mouth when the paramedics arrived. Does that sound like a deranged killer who shot a girl because she couldn't love him?"

Taggert shrugged. "It sounds to me as if maybe he had an attack of conscience and regretted shooting her. Or maybe he wanted the paramedics to think he was trying to save her when he was really trying to finish the job before they could arrive."

Alexis couldn't believe the crap coming out of Taggert's mouth. "You don't seriously expect anyone to believe that do you?"

"It doesn't matter what they believe about why he called the ambulance. The point is he shot her. Trying to save her later doesn't change that fact. I have blood evidence on his person. I have a gun found in your client's room over Jake's – Oh, you weren't aware of that, Morgan?" Taggert wanted to jump with joy. I got you, he thought. "We found your gun tucked inside one of your dresser drawers. Forensics is working on it as we speak. I know they are going to match your gun to the murder weapon.

"So let's review again. I have motive and the murder weapon. I can place you at the scene of the second crime and your gun at the first. And soon I'll have a witness. Once she wakes up, I'm sure Elizabeth Webber will be a fountain of information."

"What?" Jason spoke for the first time since Taggert entered the room.

Taggert grinned his sadistic grin relishing this moment. "You screwed up, Morgan. Elizabeth isn't dead. She made it through the surgery. Once she regains consciousness, I know she'll be able to corroborate everything that I have said and more."

Jason's mouth widened into the biggest smile Taggert had ever seen. Joy replaced the nothingness and despair he was feeling. Elizabeth was alive. She wasn't dead. He looked to Alexis for confirmation. Taggert could be playing with him. What he saw in her eyes caused his mouth to widen even more. Elizabeth was alive. She was alive. He needed to see her. He needed to see for himself that she wasn't dead. Forgetting where he was, he got up and started for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Taggert grabbed Jason's arm halting his movements.

He looked at Taggert ready to push him out of his way. Didn't he understand? Elizabeth was alive. All of this was minute in comparison. "I have to see her," he said without thinking.

Taggert pulled him back and cuffed him to the table. "You're not going anywhere near Elizabeth Webber. The only place you'll be going is to jail. Do you honestly think Elizabeth will forgive you for shooting her and killing Lucky? You're more deluded than I thought."

"That's enough, Taggert," Alexis positioned herself between the two men. She didn't want Jason to get into any more trouble than he already was. "I'd like to speak to my client alone if you don't mind."

"I'll be outside," Taggert replied before leaving the room.

"She's not dead," Jason said quietly still not sure Taggert was telling the truth.

Alexis sighed. "No, Jason, she's not. You saved her by giving mouth to mouth. You kept her alive until the paramedics could get to her."

"Did she wake up? Will she be okay? Has she asked for me?" He wanted to know everything.

"I don't know. I was just told she made it through the surgery. Jason, you need to tell me what happened," she urged. Maybe now he would fight knowing Elizabeth was alive.

Jason was quiet for a long time. He thought of everything Taggert had said. Lucky was dead, and they thought he had killed him. Lucky was who Laura was referring to not Elizabeth. How did Lucky end up dead? What gun did Taggert find at Jake's? He never kept any weapons hidden in his drawer. Someone must have planted it there.

"I didn't shoot Elizabeth," he said. "It was Lucky."

Alexis was shocked. She hadn't expected that. "Lucky?"

Jason nodded. "He came at me in the park and pointed a gun at me."

"Why would Lucky do that?" Alexis couldn't picture Lucky holding a gun on Jason.

"He wanted me away from Elizabeth. He was possessive of her. He thought I was coming between them."

"Was he right?"

Jason hesitated. He wasn't sure he wanted Alexis or anyone else knowing what had happened between him and Elizabeth. "She was going to break it off with Lucky. She was tired of his controlling her every move. She wanted to be free of him."

"So that she could be with you," she added when he stopped.

"Yes," he admitted. He decided that Alexis needed to know everything if she was going to help him. "Lucky held the gun on me and before I could take it off him, Elizabeth appeared. She tried to get him to give it to her, but he wouldn't. She jumped in front of me when he pulled the trigger. I couldn't push her away in time. I couldn't protect her."

"Jason, this is not your fault," she assured him. "What did Lucky do then?"

He thought about it for a while. "I don't know. All I remember is taking care of Elizabeth. I know he wasn't there when the ambulance arrived."

"Where did you go after Elizabeth went up to surgery?" That was going to be the problem, she thought. If everything Jason told her was true, then Lucky was killed after Elizabeth was shot not before. Elizabeth could validate Jason's story about her shooting, but there was nothing to stop Taggert from continuing on with his case for Lucky's murder.

"I went to the roof of General Hospital. I used to go up there after the accident. I didn't want to leave Elizabeth, but I couldn't stay at the hospital."

"Did anyone see you?" She already knew the answer but was praying for a miracle.

"No, not until I came down and Taggert arrested me."

"What about the gun?"

"I don't know how it got there, but it isn't mine. Taggert's stupid if he thinks I would hide the murder weapon in my room."

Alexis sighed. "He just sees an open and shut case. He's not really thinking."

Jason clenched his fists and pulled against the handcuffs. "I need to get out of here, Alexis. I need to see her with my own eyes."

"I know you do," she gave him a sad smile. "Your arraignment won't happen until tomorrow morning. You'll have to wait until then. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah, if I have to."

She picked up her briefcase. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay." She gave him one last glance before leaving. She was worried about Elizabeth. Would Elizabeth think Jason killed Lucky? Would she believe Jason or the evidence?


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 **

She looked peaceful, Audrey thought. She could almost pretend Elizabeth was just sleeping in her room rather than lying in a hospital bed hooked up to wires and tubes. She grasped the unconscious girl's hand needing to reassure herself that Elizabeth wasn't dead.

It had been three days since Elizabeth was shot and she hadn't regained consciousness. The doctors were keeping her sedated to give her body time to recover from the surgery. They hadn't been sure she would survive the surgery, but Audrey had known better. Elizabeth was a fighter. She wasn't going to let a gunshot wound keep her down.

A tear fell down Audrey's cheek thinking about what Elizabeth had to wake up to. Lucky was dead and she was badly injured. Elizabeth would be in intense pain both physical and emotional. Audrey remembered how hard Elizabeth had taken Lucky's first death. She had turned wild, going to bars and hanging out with Jason Morgan. Audrey had tried to warn her about what a dangerous man he was, but Elizabeth hadn't listened. Now look at where that got her. She was fighting for her life.

That monster killed Lucky and shot Elizabeth. Audrey was glad he was in jail. She didn't want Elizabeth to worry about him coming after her again. The police had put a guard at the door to insure that wouldn't happen. Not that Jason himself could touch her in jail, but Taggert was afraid Sonny Corinthos would try something to remove the only witness to the shooting.

Audrey couldn't believe Elizabeth had called these people friends - these men who would kill her without a second thought. She couldn't believe the gall of Sonny Corinthos asking her how Elizabeth's was. She doubted Mr. Corinthos cared one bit about Elizabeth's condition. He was more concerned about his employee in jail than Elizabeth.

"No, Jason," Elizabeth whispered.

Audrey leaned down to see if she was waking but realized Elizabeth was just dreaming. She brought her hand up to Elizabeth's forehead. She hated that even in sleep Jason Morgan was tormenting Elizabeth. She promised herself that as soon as Elizabeth was able, Audrey would take her away from Port Charles and protect her from that horrible man.

Elizabeth was screaming but no sound was coming out. She saw Lucky and Jason. She wanted to run to Jason, but she couldn't. She looked down and realized her feet weren't moving. They were rooted to the ground and she couldn't lift them. She tried to scream again. She couldn't let Lucky hurt Jason. She couldn't. She wouldn't be able to live if Jason died. In slow motion she saw the bullet leave the gun hading straight for Jason. As hard as she tried she couldn't move. She could just stand and watch as the bullet entered Jason's body causing him to fall back to the ground. He was dying, and she could do nothing.

"Jason!" She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. The intense pain stopped her.

"Elizabeth, shhh, it's okay," she heard her grandmother's voice but couldn't see her. "Jason can't hurt you anymore."

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to raise her hand but the pain was too much. Where was she? Why did she hurt? Where was Jason? Was he all right? "Where am I?"

Audrey rested a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "You're at the hospital. You were shot, but you're going to be okay."

Elizabeth looked around as much as her head could allow. She saw the IVs and machines verifying what her grandmother told her. She was in the hospital. She'd been shot. For a second she couldn't remember how she could have been shot, then it all came back - Lucky, Jason, the gun.

"Jason! Where's Jason?" She needed to know if Lucky had shot him too. She didn't want to think that Jason was dead.

Audrey tried to calm her. "Jason can't hurt you anymore. You don't have to worry."

No, she couldn't mean Jason was dead, Elizabeth thought. Jason couldn't be dead. She would know. "Don't lie to me. Jason's not dead. Tell me where he is."

Audrey was stunned. She hadn't expected this kind of reaction from her granddaughter. "Elizabeth, you need to calm down. You don't want to pull any stitches. You're still recovering from surgery. Your heart is still weak. You don't want to cause a set back."

Elizabeth refused to listen. She tried to sit up again ignoring the pain. She needed to make sure Jason was all right. She wasn't going to calm down until she saw him. "I want to see Jason. Where is he? Take me to his hospital room. I want to make sure he's going to be okay."

Audrey reached for the call button. She needed help to stop Elizabeth from hurting herself. A nurse ran into the room going to the opposite side of the bed. She injected a sedative into the IV. Within seconds Elizabeth stopped struggling and was asleep.

Audrey was stunned. Something wasn't right. Elizabeth was worried about Jason. She was ready to injure herself to find out where he was. Elizabeth hadn't even asked about Lucky. What kind of control did Jason Morgan have over Elizabeth to make her forget about Lucky? Audrey knew she'd made the right decision. She was going to get Elizabeth away from Jason Morgan. She didn't care what she had to do.

* * *

Elizabeth woke the next day to hear shouting in her room. She glanced around remembering she was in the hospital. She'd been shot. She remembered getting upset the last time she woke, and her grandmother getting a nurse to sedate her. She wasn't going to cause any trouble this time. She needed to know what had happened that day at the park. She needed to make sure Jason was all right. She needed to convince Lucky to get the help he needed. None of that would happen if she were unconscious. She turned her attention to the two people still arguing in her door way. 

"I don't care what you say. Jason did not shoot her," Emily yelled. "He is not capable of doing that."

"My God, can you hear yourself?" Nikolas reciprocated. "Your brother is a killer. That's his job."

Elizabeth was confused. Who did Jason shoot? How could he have shot someone if he was in the hospital fighting for his life? Nikolas must be mistaken. "Nikolas," she called to him quietly.

"My brother would never hurt her. He would protect her with his life," Emily continued arguing. She couldn't hear Elizabeth over the yelling.

"Emily," Elizabeth tried a little louder.

"Oh, really. Then explain why she almost died, and he didn't have a scratch on him," Nikolas countered.

"Nikolas. Emily. You guys stop shouting," Elizabeth yelled as loud as she could, causing pain to shoot throughout her body.

Her friends immediately abandoned their argument and rushed to her bedside.

"Elizabeth, how are you?" They both spoke at once.

She remained still allowing the pain to become a dull ache. "I'm going to be okay. What are you two arguing about?"

They turned to each other then back to her.

"Nothing, it's not important," answered Nikolas.

Emily agreed, "Yeah, you don't have to worry about it. You just need to concentrate on getting well."

Elizabeth could tell they were hiding something. "You were arguing about Jason. Is he all right? What room is he in?"

Nikolas didn't understand her question. "What do you mean 'what room is he in'? Do you mean in the hospital?"

Elizabeth gave him an exasperated look. "Of course I mean the hospital. Where else would he be with a gunshot wound?"

Emily shared Nikolas' confusion. "What gunshot wound? Jason wasn't shot, you were."

Elizabeth looked to Nikolas for confirmation. "He's not hurt? He wasn't shot?" She sighed in relief when he shook his head. Jason wasn't hurt – more importantly, he wasn't dead. "Then where is he? Why isn't he here? What were you arguing about?"

"Jason's in jail," Nikolas said. He couldn't believe Elizabeth was concerned about the man that shot her.

Elizabeth wondered if her hearing need checking. She couldn't have heard Nikolas correctly. "Why is he in jail?"

"That's where they put violent criminals," he replied.

"Nikolas don't," Emily's words were laced with warning. She didn't want him upsetting Elizabeth. She didn't know if Elizabeth was strong enough to deal with what was going on.

"I'm sorry, Emily, but I'm tired of the two of you gushing over the great Jason Morgan. You both refused to see who he really is. You are arguing with me telling me he isn't capable of killing when we both know he's killed more people than he could probably count. Elizabeth is so brainwashed her first thoughts when she wakes up are about the person who shot her rather than her boyfriend." He gave Elizabeth a pointed look. "Have you even thought about Lucky? Do you even care about what happened to him?"

The image of Lucky's hate-filled face came to her. Did she care what happened to Lucky? As much as he hurt her, she did still care about him. He was her first love. She wanted to help him, to find the right doctors that could make him better. "Of course, I care about Lucky. He needs professional help. Maybe you could help me convince Luke and Laura to get him the attention he needs."

Nikolas looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Lucky's dead, Elizabeth," he said harshly. "Jason killed him."

Elizabeth heard Nikolas but couldn't seem to understand the words he had spoken. It took a moment for his words to finally sink in. Lucky was dead. Jason killed him. Tears formed in her eyes. She cried for her first love. Guilt filled her. If she had only seen how troubled Lucky was maybe she could have gotten him the help he needed and none of this would have happened. Instead she'd been shot and Jason had killed Lucky in self-defence.

Emily sat beside her and gave her a gentle hug. She didn't want to hurt Elizabeth more than she already was. She didn't know what to say. What do you say to a woman whose boyfriend had died for the second time, murdered by her best friend?

"This is all my fault," Elizabeth said wiping away a tear. "I should have known he needed help. I should have been honest with him. It didn't have to be this way."

Nikolas' mouth twitched. "This is not your fault. Jason Morgan is an animal. He deserves to be punished for what he did. I hope the DA asks for the death penalty."

"Nikolas, please," Emily didn't want to hear that anymore. For four days that's all he could say. She had tried, but he refused to listen to her. He wouldn't accept that Jason hadn't killed his brother. He sided with the evidence even if it was circumstantial.

Elizabeth couldn't believe the hate she heard coming from Nikolas. If she closed her eyes she could swear Lucky was in the room. "Jason was defending himself. He shouldn't be punished for that."

Her statement shocked both of her friends.

"Have you lost your mind?" Nikolas was livid. He didn't care that Elizabeth was lying on a hospital bed. What kind of blinders did both Emily and Elizabeth have about Jason? "That man shoots you and kills your boyfriend in cold blood, and you say he was defending himself."

"What is going on here?" Bobbie came running into the hospital room. "Nikolas, what are you doing? Elizabeth is still recovering from her surgery. She doesn't need you yelling at her. If you can't calm down, I'll have the police officer remove you from this room."

Nikolas couldn't look at Elizabeth. He wanted to shake her until she saw the truth. He clenched his hands. He needed to leave before he did something he would regret. Without another word he stalked out the room leaving the three women stunned. They had never seen him like that before.

"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Emily was worried this was all too much for her. Jason would never forgive her if something else happened to Elizabeth. She realized now that this was what Jason had tried to warn her about. He knew something like this would happen and wanted to make sure she was there to help Elizabeth through it.

Elizabeth was lost in thought. Did Nikolas say Jason shot her? Why would he think that? Was that why Jason was in jail? Did they think he shot her and then killed Lucky? She needed to talk to Taggert to set the record straight. "I'm fine. Emily, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to break if Nikolas yells at me." She squeezed her friend's hand to reassure her then focused on the nurse checking her IV. "Bobbie, can you call Taggert and tell him I want to make my statement?"

Bobbie wasn't sure Elizabeth could handle any more conflict today. She was about to decline when she saw the determination in the younger woman's face. She could see Elizabeth wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I'll speak to the policeman outside."

"Could you also call Alexis for me and tell her to come too?" She knew Jason trusted Alexis with all his legal problems. If Jason had been arrested, Alexis was his lawyer. Elizabeth knew it would be a good thing to have her present when she spoke to Taggert.

"Sure," Bobbie replied. "But I don't want you to overexert yourself. You need to rest to give your body a chance to heal. I want to you sleep for a while. I'll get both Taggert and Alexis to come by after lunch okay."

Elizabeth hadn't realized just how tired she was until Bobbie spoke. She needed to be alert when she made her statement. She shifted her gaze to Emily. As tired as she was, she wanted to know about Jason. How was he doing? Why was he in jail when he should be out on bail? What was she thinking? He shouldn't have been arrested in the first place. He was only defending himself, wasn't he? She needed to know everything that had happened after she was shot and since she been in the hospital.

Emily could see Elizabeth had lots of questions for her, but she knew Elizabeth needed to rest. Emily wasn't sure she could answer any of her questions anyway. Taggert was keeping everything very hush-hush. She figured he was doing everything he could to make sure Sonny couldn't make any of the evidence disappear. Taggert wouldn't even let her see Jason. She couldn't believe it. What did he think she was going to do, slip her brother a nail file or attack the guards so Jason could escape?

"I haven't been able to see him, but Alexis tells me he's okay," she answered Elizabeth's silent question. "He's worried about you. I know he'll be happy to hear you're awake. Alexis is the only one who's been able to see him. She knows more about what's going on than I do. Why don't I let you sleep, so you'll be strong enough to deal with Taggert when he comes? They'll be here before you know it, and Alexis can answer all of your questions. I'll come back later, okay, if you're not too tired."

Elizabeth agreed and gave Emily a small wave as she left the room. She was tired but she didn't want to go to sleep. She didn't want to dream about Jason dying. If she closed her eyes, she knew she would she Lucky's face staring back at her. He was dead and Jason was in jail because of her. This was all her fault. She didn't deserve either man's love. She needed to make everything right. She couldn't save Lucky but she could Jason. She could get Jason out of the nightmare he was living and then she would leave Port Charles. Carly was right. She wasn't good enough for him. He deserved someone who would love him and put him first. All she had done was played with his emotions and cause him to fight for his life. Jason was better off without her, she thought before closing her eyes and falling asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Alexis was frustrated. Things weren't going well for Jason. He'd been in jail the last four days since being denied bail. The prosecution had argued Jason was a flight risk given his habit of leaving the city at a moments notice. The DA was afraid Jason would run at the first opportunity. Even though Alexis had countered with evidence of Jason ties to the community and family the judge sided with the prosecution.

Sonny had understood the ruling. He actually expected it, but Carly was another matter. Alexis had had to sit in her office and listen to Carly go off on how terrible a lawyer she was and how she had better get Jason off if she knew what was good for her. She sighed. She wished Carly would just stay out of it and let her do her job. This trial would be hard enough to win without Carly causing her more stress. Sonny was trying his best, but even he couldn't seem to control Carly. Alexis could only imagine what she would be like during the trial. Maybe Alexis could petition the judge to bar her from the courtroom.

She scanned the files on her desk. Each day brought more damaging evidence against Jason. Ballistics matched both the bullet that killed Lucky and the one the doctors removed from Elizabeth to the gun Taggert had found at Jake's. The only thing she had going in her favour was that there were no fingerprints found on the gun. Why would Jason wipe down the gun then stash it in his own room? It didn't make sense, especially considering who Jason was. If the DA wanted the jury to see Jason as the big mob enforcer that he was, then she could argue that Jason wouldn't make such a stupid mistake.

The blood on Jason shirt was Elizabeth's, but she was never going to argue that fact. There was, she thought, a big difference between Taggert's belief that Jason was trying to kill Elizabeth and her argument that he was trying to save her. However, Taggert had found a witness to Elizabeth's shooting. The woman hadn't seen the shooting, but said she heard two people arguing just before the shooting. When she reached them, she saw Jason giving Elizabeth mouth-to-mouth. Alexis wished the witness had seen Lucky, but he had already run off before she arrived.

She argued Jason hadn't had time to hide the gun since the witness came almost immediately after the gunshot. Taggert figured Jason kept the gun on his person and was able to leave the crime scene before the police arrived by forcing himself into the ambulance when the paramedics would have left him. By the time Taggert had arrested him, he'd already had enough time to stash the gun at Jake's. She wished Taggert would get his head out of his ass sometimes. Why would Jason keep the gun then hide it in his room at Jake's when he could have easily thrown it off the pier after he killed Lucky? The police would never have found it then. Did they really think Jason would want to keep the gun?

Her arguments were sound but she worried that the jury wouldn't care about common sense. She feared they would just see Jason Morgan, mob enforcer and convict solely on that. They wouldn't feel guilty convicting Jason figuring even if he didn't kill Lucky, he's sure to have killed others that he wasn't tried for. This would be their way of punishing Jason for past crimes rather than the one he was being accused of.

The only person the jury would listen to was Elizabeth, and she had yet to wake up. If she could convince the jury that Jason didn't shoot her and couldn't have killed Lucky then maybe Jason had a chance. Alexis hoped that would be the case. She didn't want to think about the alternative. She didn't want to think about Jason spending the rest of his life in jail. It was ironic. After all the times she'd kept Jason from jail, the one time Alexis was sure Jason was innocent would be the one time she couldn't save him.

She jumped at the sound of her ringing phone.

"Alexis, it's Bobbie," the nurse told her after Alexis' hello. "Elizabeth is awake, and Taggert is on his way to see her. She wants you there when she speaks to him."

Here we go, she thought. "Tell her I'll be right there," she replied setting the phone down without saying goodbye. She needed to let Jason know Elizabeth was wake. She didn't have time to go to the jailhouse to see him before going to the hospital. She called the one man she knew could get that information to Jason even in jail. "Sonny," she didn't bother with pleasantries. "Elizabeth's awake. I'm going to the hospital now to see her. Taggert's going to get her statement and she wants me present. Can you please tell Jason she's awake?"

"I'll let him know," he said matching her tone. He hung up without any further discussion and dialled his contact at the jail. After a brief conversation where he did most of the talking, Sonny replaced the phone and headed for the door. He wanted to get to the hospital and see Elizabeth.

He was relieved. He cared about Elizabeth and was worried about her. He had been unable to see her because of Taggert. Sometimes he wished he could just eliminate Taggert. The idea that Sonny would cause Elizabeth harm was preposterous. Elizabeth was his friend and more importantly Jason loved her. He would use all his power to protect her not hurt her.

He still couldn't believe Jason was in this situation. After four days he still couldn't find out who was trying to set Jason up. He had gone to the five families to see who would dare try something against him, but they had nothing to do with it. He thought of Roscoe, Sorel second in command but couldn't figure out how Roscoe would know that Lucky and Jason had a confrontation in the park unless he was following Jason. It was possible, but he doubted it. Roscoe had no backing therefore, no protection. If Sonny found out Roscoe was involved, there wasn't anywhere for Roscoe to hide that Sonny couldn't find him.

Deep down Sonny knew that Roscoe wasn't involved. He was on his last suspects but he wouldn't give up. He was not going to let Jason go to prison for something he didn't do. Even if Jason had to escape if convicted, Sonny would make that happen. Jason was his family and he wouldn't let his brother spend the rest of his life in jail.

* * *

He hated prison. He hated the structure, the rules – being told when to eat and when to sleep. He hated being stripped of his clothes and being forced to wear the ill-fitting blue shirt and jean uniform. Above all he hated being locked up. He hated that his freedom was taken away from him. More than anything right now he just wanted to take off on his motorcycle and feel the wind on his face and the adrenalin in his veins.

Jason stood in the courtyard alone, watching from the corners of his eyes the other inmates scattered throughout the area. There wasn't an immediate threat, but it didn't hurt to be ready. Since his arrival, stories circulated about his reputation as a vicious killer. He once crushed a man's skull with his boot because the man had spilled his drink on the enforcer, one inmate said. He sliced a man open just because he looked at Sonny Corinthos the wrong way, claimed another inmate. A third story told of him breaking a man's neck with his bare hands during a bar room brawl one night.

Jason laughed at the rumours. While some, he admitted, were true, others were just lies he never disputed. There was nothing wrong with letting his enemies and would be enemies thinking he was a brutal killer. In his line of work, fear and respect walked hand in hand. It certainly benefited him in prison. Most of the inmates feared him and therefore left him alone. No one was willing to see if even a third of the stories circulating the prison were true. The rest respected his power and position. Even though he was a new inmate, he wasn't low on the totem pole.

Jason was almost disappointed. He could have used to good brawl to alleviate some of the anxiousness and worry he was feeling. While he knew Elizabeth was alive, he hadn't learned anything else. Was she still unconscious? How badly was she hurt? Did she know about his imprisonment? Did she think he killed Lucky? Would she hate him?

He ached to see her. He didn't wanted her to be alone when she heard of Lucky's death. Even though they had had problems, she stilled loved him and wouldn't take his second death well. He knew she would blame herself for what happened, but none of this was her fault. Lucky was the one who became possessive and controlling. He was the one who refused to accept the person she really was.

Jason hoped this wouldn't give Elizabeth a reason to turn away from him. Would she believe Taggert and the evidence? Would she think she'd made a mistake and decide she really didn't love him after all? Their relationship was only beginning. He wasn't sure it was strong enough to survive everything that was about to happen.

Not that it mattered anyway. Even if she did still love him and stand by him, what kind of relationship could they have? He was in jail. While Alexis tried to be confident, he knew there was a strong case against him. He was probably going to spend the rest of his life in this prison. What kind of relationship could he possibly offer her in jail? She needed to be free. She had already sacrificed enough of herself with Lucky. He didn't want her to give up her dreams of Italy and family just to be with him. She didn't need to be tied to a man whose future would be a six by ten cell.

He laughed. It was ironic. Until Elizabeth he hadn't really thought much of the future. He hadn't understood why people spent so much time worrying about something they didn't have control of. He had lived his life in the present not really caring what would happen tomorrow.

Elizabeth had changed all that. For that brief period of time between Elizabeth leaving Jake's in the cab and Lucky shooting her, he had started thinking about their lives together. He wanted to give her everything she wanted. He wanted to make all her dreams real. He thought about marriage and children. He could almost picture Elizabeth holding their little girl in her arms. Now all he could see is Elizabeth talking to him through bullet proof glass. That wasn't a real relationship.

Not that he would spend a day in jail if convicted. Jason knew Sonny and his people on the inside would help him escape, but did he want Elizabeth to go on the run with him? Was that any better for her? They would be constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for the day the police found them. He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't ask her to give up her life just to be with him.

The bell signalling the return to cells went off.

"Morgan, the warden wants to see you," a guard said as Jason entered the facility.

The two walked silently to the warden's office. When they entered the office the warden was going through files at his desk. He waited until the guard left the room before addressing Jason.

"Mr. Morgan, I hope there hasn't been any problems for you since you've arrived."

"No, Mr Krebs, everything has been fine," he replied.

Krebs nodded liking what he heard. "Good. If you need anything just let me know. I'll make sure you get it before you know it." He was a little nervous. While he had had dealings with Sonny Corinthos for many years, he'd never met Jason Morgan face to face. He wanted the make sure he didn't get on Morgan's bad side while he stayed in his prison.

"I have a message from Mr. Corinthos," he told Jason. "He wanted you to know Elizabeth Webber was awake. She woke up this morning. Mr. Corinthos is going to the hospital now to see her."

While Jason was elated by the news, he didn't show it. "Thank you for telling me. Did Sonny say anything else?"

Krebs shook his head. "Just that he and Miss Davis are working on getting you out of here."

Jason nodded. He knew Sonny and Alexis were doing everything they could to get the judge to change his mind about bail, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. He would have to stay in prison until the trial. He turned to leave.

"Mr. Morgan, was there anything you wanted me to tell Mr. Corinthos?"

"No," he replied before opening the door, "not at this time. I'll let you know if I need something in the future."

"Sam, take the prisoner back to his cell," the warden commanded the guard waiting outside the door.

Jason could think of nothing but Elizabeth as he walked back to his cell. She was awake. She would be okay. Those two sentences lightened his heart. Elizabeth would be able to recover from her injuries and begin a new life. She would be able to live out her dreams and be happy. He only wished, he could share in that happiness.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Alexis arrived at the hospital to find a confrontation between Taggert and Sonny in progress in front of Elizabeth's room. She could tell this was going to be a long day.

"Listen, Corinthos, I'm not letting you anywhere near that girl." Taggert was close to shouting.

Sonny was calm. "Elizabeth is a friend of mine. I just want to see that she's okay. Ask her if she needs anything."

"So you can pressure her about her statement."

Sonny couldn't help but play with him. "Would I do that?"

Taggert moved to grab Sonny jacket causing Alexis to intervene. "Gentlemen, if we could remember that this is a hospital. I'm sure the nurses would appreciate you not disturbing the patients by fighting in the hallway."

Taggert forced himself to calm down. He knew he shouldn't let Corinthos get to him, but he couldn't help it. One day, he promised. One day he was going to get the evidence he needed to send Sonny Corinthos to jail. "Alexis, what are you doing here?"

She gripped her briefcase in front of her. "Bobbie called me and told me Elizabeth wanted me present during your questioning."

"What?" Taggert didn't like this turn of events. Had Jason already gotten to her? How could he have? Jason was in jail. "Why would Elizabeth want you there?"

"Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable talking to you without an attorney present," Alexis replied. "Why don't we go in and find out what she has to say?" She gave Sonny a quick nod before entering the room. Taggert joined her leaving Sonny to wait outside.

Elizabeth's eyes were closed, but opened when the door was shut. She gave Alexis a weak smile. "Hi, Alexis."

Alexis took the seat next to Elizabeth's bed. "Hi, how are you? Are you sure you're ready to do this? We can wait a few more days."

Elizabeth shook her head then winched at the pain it invoked. "No, the quicker we do this, the quicker Jason can be released."

Taggert stopped just before he sat down. "I'm sorry. Why would he be released?"

Elizabeth didn't shrink under his scrutiny. "Because Jason didn't shoot me, that's why."

Taggert was speechless. He wasn't expecting Elizabeth to jump right into defending Morgan. "Is that right?"

"Yes, detective, that's right. Lucky pulled a gun on Jason. I tried to get him to give it to me but he wouldn't."

Taggert took a deep breath. "You want me to believe that Lucky Spencer pulled a gun on Jason Morgan?"

"Yes," she said confidently.

"Why would he do that?" Taggert couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Elizabeth asked Alexis for some water before she replied. "We had gotten into an argument earlier in the day. I went to Jason."

"Why?" Taggert interrupted her. "Why did you go to Morgan?"

"I know you don't understand, but Jason is my friend. When I'm upset, he makes things better."

Taggert didn't want to hear about how great a friend Jason Morgan was. He didn't care if Morgan gave to the poor or fed the hungry. He was a killer anything else was irrelevant. "I don't see what this has to do with what happened in the park."

"After I left Jason's I went looking for Lucky. We needed to talk about our relationship, but I couldn't find him. I called his mother, Nikolas, and Emily. No one knew where he was. I knew there was something wrong. I decided to find Jason to get his help, and I found them in the park. Lucky was crazy. He wouldn't listen to me. He kept saying Jason was causing our problems. He was going to kill Jason so that we could be together. I told him that wasn't going to happen that I didn't want to be with him anymore. That's when he pulled the trigger."

"If Lucky was firing at Jason, how did you get shot?" Taggert couldn't quite believe what Elizabeth was saying. Lucky Spencer would never have shot Elizabeth.

"I stepped in front of Jason."

"You stepped in front of Morgan and took the bullet? Are you really expecting me to believe Morgan was the innocent bystander? Lucky threatened him with a gun, and he stood by while you took the bullet for him."

The way he made it sound even Elizabeth found it hard to believe, but she didn't care. It was the truth. "Yes," she said. "It's exactly what I'm telling you. Everything happened so fast Jason didn't have time to push me aside."

Taggert couldn't think. "Why would Lucky pull a gun on Morgan?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I already told you. He thought Jason was causing our problems."

"What problems?"

Elizabeth didn't want to talk about that. She was sure he would try and use it against Jason. "Over the last few months Lucky had become very possessive. He wanted to know where I was at all times. He was suspicious of everything I did. He even accused me of having an affair with Sonny Corinthos. When Jason came back Lucky began accusing Jason of trying to take me away from him."

"Was he right? You and Morgan used to have something going," he hinted. "Maybe he thought you guys would continue now that he was back."

Elizabeth thought of the Valentine's Day kiss. "No, Jason and I are only friends. I tried to tell Lucky that but he wouldn't listen."

Looking at Elizabeth, Taggert got the feeling she was keeping something. "If you were just friends, why were you breaking up with Lucky."

"We got into an argument over the Face of Deception thing. He wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him I didn't want to be the next Face of Deception. That morning was the first shoot for the campaign. It was horrible. I realized I couldn't do it anymore."

"Do what anymore?"

"I couldn't pretend that modelling was my dream. Lucky was so happy about us working together. That's all he could talk about. Until then I went along with it even though I hated every minute of it. It was terrible. Every second felt like torture. I knew I couldn't do it. As much as I loved Lucky I couldn't do what he wanted."

"How did he feel about that?"

"He didn't think I loved him that it was my way of ending our relationship. He grabbed me and said I couldn't leave him. He said I belonged to him. I couldn't believe he was talking to me like that. It was like I was seeing him for the first time. I realized Lucky didn't love me. He just wanted to control me, so I shoved him and walked out."

"And went to Jason?"

She didn't reply. Was she helping or making everything worse? She turned to Alexis. So far she'd been quiet. Had Jason told her everything? Did she know Elizabeth was breaking up with Lucky so she could be with Jason? Alexis gave her a small smile of encouragement. "Lucky had problems. He admitted that Helena tortured him for over a year. He needed psychiatric help. Jason was only defending himself."

Taggert's mouth twitched. "I would buy that if Lucky was killed at the park, but he wasn't. He was shot on the docks. That means Jason went after him. He hunted Lucky down and punished him for hurting you."

Before Elizabeth could say anything, Alexis spoke up. "Taggert you don't have any evidence to prove that."

He smiled, "I have the murder weapon found in Morgan's room."

"With no fingerprints," Alexis countered. "Anyone could have planted the gun in Jason's room. You'll have to do better than that."

Taggert stood. "Don't worry, the investigation isn't over. I will be combing the waterfront making sure we haven't missed anything. Morgan's finally going to jail."

"He didn't do it," Elizabeth insisted.

"I'll let a jury decide that," he said opening the door. "Detective Capelli will come by tomorrow so you can sign your statement."

"Alexis, Jason didn't kill Lucky," she said. "I don't care what evidence Taggert thinks he has. He wouldn't kill Lucky."

Alexis nodded. "I know he didn't. But Taggert found the murder weapon in Jason's room. He doesn't want to believe Jason is being framed."

"I didn't help, did I?" Elizabeth was sure she had given Taggert too much information about her relationship with Jason.

"No, you did well," Alexis replied. "You told the truth but didn't go into detail about any one thing. Taggert only thinks he knows what is going on between you and Jason. He doesn't have any proof."

Elizabeth wasn't sure how much Alexis knew. "Did Jason tell you everything?"

"That you were leaving Lucky to be with him?" At Elizabeth nod, she continued. "Yes, he did. He knew I needed all the facts before I went into trial."

Elizabeth was close to tears. "It makes him look guilty. Lucky shoots me to keep me from leaving him. Jason kills Lucky in revenge. Jason could be convicted. He could spend the rest of his life in prison, and it will be all my fault."

"Hey, don't think like that. None of this is your fault."

"Yes, it is. I am the reason he is in prison." She knew how much he must hate being in jail. He wouldn't like his freedom taken away from him.

Alexis wouldn't let her continue. "No, Jason is in jail because he was denied bail. He won't be there forever. Sonny and I are working on his defence. I know the jury is going to side with him. Taggert's version of the events doesn't make sense. Any jury in their right mind isn't going to believe Jason is stupid enough to keep the murder weapon in his room. There are too many holes and I plan to make sure the jury knows about each and every one of them."

Elizabeth gave a small smile. She wanted to believe Alexis but couldn't quite let go of the doubt she had. "How is he, Alexis?"

Alexis paused. "He's going to be much better when he hears you've woken up."

Elizabeth could see Alexis was hiding something. "Please, tell me the truth. Does he hate me?"

Alexis was stunned. "Hate you? Jason doesn't hate you. He loves you. He saved your life after you were shot. He broke down in front of Taggert when he thought you were dead. He wasn't going to fight. He didn't want me there. He didn't care what happened to him. He was going to confess that he killed you."

It was Elizabeth's turn to be stunned. "Why would he do that?"

"He blamed himself because he couldn't protect you. He felt that he was just as guilty as Lucky for killing you. It was only when Taggert told him you were alive that he started to care about anything."

"Jason shouldn't love me. All I've done is hurt him every chance I get, Alexis. First I jerked him around because I thought I had to be with Lucky. I thought I loved Lucky, but I was really trying to relive the past. Now Jason is hurting because Lucky couldn't accept that I didn't want to be with him anymore. Lucky would have killed Jason because of me."

"But you saved him," Alexis pointed out. "Jason is alive and so are you. Don't let Lucky control you even when he's dead."

"He would be better off without me," she whispered.

Alexis shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. He loves you, Elizabeth. He needs you to support him through this trial."

"I don't think I can. I can't face him knowing this is all my fault."

Alexis had had enough. She gripped Elizabeth's shoulders forcing her to look into her eyes. "I want you to listen to me. Jason doesn't blame you for this. All he wants is for you to get better. You want to start laying blame, then you have to start with Lucky. He was the one who was obsessed and controlling. He's the one who pulled the trigger and shot you. Then there's Helena. She kidnapped Lucky in the first place and turned him into the man capable of hurting you. What about Luke and Laura? Lucky was kidnapped because of the Spencer-Cassadine war. Was that your fault too? No. You didn't have any say in anything that led up to this point. You are just an innocent participant."

"But I should have seen that Lucky needed help. If I had stood up for myself sooner maybe Lucky would be alive today, and Jason wouldn't be going on trial for his murder."

"You don't know that. From Lucky's actions, I don't think standing up for yourself any sooner would have done much except maybe you would be the one dead." Alexis paused to see if her point was getting through to Elizabeth. "Don't let ifs stop you from loving Jason. Don't let things you had no control over dictate how you live your life. You deserve to be happy. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Elizabeth didn't know how to respond. Everything Alexis said was true, but she still couldn't let go of the guilt she felt. Jason was going on trial for murder because of her. How could they ever get past that to have a real relationship? She wasn't sure it was possible.

Alexis could see Elizabeth wasn't completely convinced. "Do you love him?"

She couldn't speak. She knew Alexis was waiting for an answer. She remembered the joy she felt when she realized she loved him and wanted to be with him. If she had known what was to come would she have still told him? She knew the answer was yes. For that brief period of time, they were both truly happy.

She couldn't get the words out. All she could do was nod. Yes, she did love him.

"Listen to your heart, Elizabeth," Alexis insisted before leaving the room. "It will point you in the right direction."

Elizabeth scoffed at the idea. Listen to your heart. What did her heart know? Last week she thought she was in love with Lucky, now she loved Jason. Her heart didn't know anything. How could she possibly listen to it? _You didn't love Lucky_, a tiny voice inside her insisted. _You let your brain dictate who you loved not your heart. And you're still doing it. You're going to let guilt stop you from loving Jason._ He can't love me now, she argued. Not after everything that's happened and still to happen. _You don't know that_.

She remembered how easily Jason had forgiven her for every hurt she had caused him. Would he be able to forgive her this time? She thought about what Alexis had said. He blames himself for not protecting her. She didn't want him to feel guilty when none of this was his fault. _It's not your fault either_. Deep down she knew that was true. She knew Jason wouldn't blame her for being in jail. Deep down she knew this wasn't about Jason's forgiving her. It was about her forgiving herself. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to do that.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Taggert slumped into his chair at the PCPD. His case against Jason Morgan was slipping away from him. Elizabeth Webber was not the star witness he thought she would be. She insisted Lucky Spencer shot her not Morgan.

Lucky was crazy, she insisted. He went after Jason not the other way around like Taggert had thought. This meant he didn't have strong enough evidence to convict Morgan of killing Lucky Spencer. Alexis was right. The gun wasn't enough to prove guilt. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Morgan wasn't stupid. There was no way he would keep the murder weapon in his room for the police to find. Taggert had been willing to overlook that to get a conviction, but now he knew a jury wouldn't be able to convict on the gun alone. He needed to get more evidence. He needed a witness.

"Taggert, vice just brought in a hooker who claims she saw Lucky Spencer buy a gun from some guy a week before the shooting," Capelli said walking up to Taggert's desk.

"Dammit," Taggert grunted hitting his desk with his fist. "Is she sure it was Spencer?"

Capelli nodded. "Yeah. She said Corinthos and Morgan have always been good to her and her friends, and she wanted to help him. She said she heard Spencer say 'He isn't going to take her away from him'. Do you think he was talking about Morgan?"

"Yeah," Taggert begrudgingly admitted. "I just left Elizabeth Webber. She said Lucky Spencer pulled the gun on Morgan. That Lucky was obsessed and thought Morgan was coming between him and Elizabeth. Lucky tried to shoot Morgan and Elizabeth got in the way."

Capelli thought for a moment. He knew the importance of her statement. "So we have nothing on Morgan for Elizabeth's shooting."

Taggert didn't want to hear the words. "No, we don't, and unless something turns up we don't have anything linking him to Spencer's murder either."

"We have the gun," Capelli insisted.

Taggert scoffed. "With no fingerprints. Alexis will be able to argue that it was planted. Without evidence putting Morgan at the crime scene no jury is going to convict just because the gun was in his room."

Taggert thought back to Jason's tears the night of the shooting and Elizabeth's guarded answers at the hospital. "I don't think Lucky was that delusional. Something was going on between Morgan and Elizabeth. I'm sure of it. We just need to prove it."

"You think they planned to kill Lucky?"

He shook his head. "No, but if we can prove they were involved then the jury would buy Morgan going after Spencer. No one is going to believe Morgan didn't kill the man who shot the woman he loved.

"I want to interview the dockworker who found Spencer's body again. Maybe he saw something or heard something he doesn't think is important." He looked at Capelli. "I want you to question the regulars at Jake's and Kelly's. Talk to Elizabeth's neighbours at her studio. If they were involved somebody would have seen them together. Canvas the docks as well. I know somebody saw the shooting. We just have to find them."

"I'm looking for Detective Taggert."

Taggert turned to the man standing by the entry gate. He was a short balding man the kind of man most people wouldn't give a second glance to. "What can I do for you?"

"I saw Jason Morgan kill Lucky Spencer."

Both Taggert and Capelli were speechless. They couldn't believe this man had just walked into their precinct from out of nowhere. Taggert was the first to recover from the shock. He pointed to the interrogation room. "Why don't we go inside and you can tell me exactly what you think you saw."

The man nodded and moved towards the doorway without another word. Taggert turned back to Capelli. "Get started on what I told you," he said before following the potential witness into the room.

Taggert sat down and took a deep breath before he began. "Okay, let's start with your name."

"My name is Tom Madigan."

"Okay, Mr. Madigan, why have you waited so long to come forward?" As much as Taggert wanted to nail Morgan, he didn't want some witness who was only seeking fame. For all he knew Madigan hadn't seen the crime at all. He probably just read about it in the news and thought he could make a name for himself by helping to convict Jason Morgan.

Tom looked shocked at the question. "Are you kidding? I know who Jason Morgan is. Only a fool would go against Sonny Corinthos' second in command."

"Then why are you here now?"

"My wife convinced me it was the right thing to do. She said my conscience wouldn't forgive me for letting a murderer go free when I could have prevented it." He nervously played with his hands. "Please, you have to protect me and my wife. I don't want to die."

"Mr. Madigan, you don't have to worry. The police will protect you. I'll make sure of it," Taggert assured him. "Why don't you tell me what you saw."

"I was walking to my office …"

"What do you do?"

"I'm an accountant. I was going to my office when I saw two men arguing on the docks. I recognized Jason Morgan right away, but I didn't know who the other man was. I found out his name from the paper the next day.

"They were arguing over a woman. Mr. Morgan was angry about something the younger man had done. He said he wasn't going to let Spencer get away with hurting Elizabeth. The Spencer boy claimed it was Morgan that hurt the girl. He said everything was Morgan's fault. Spencer pulled out a gun and pointed it at Morgan."

Taggert interrupted, "Are you sure it was Lucky that had the gun?"

Tom nodded. "Yes, but before he could do anything, Morgan knocked it out of his hand. He hit Spencer in the side. They fought for a while then Spencer fell to the ground. Morgan picked up the gun and shot him."

"You're sure when Morgan fired Lucky was on the ground?" Taggert needed to be sure Morgan couldn't claim self-defence. "Lucky wasn't attacking Morgan? They weren't struggling for the gun and it went off?"

Tom shook his head. "No, Spencer was on the ground holding his side. He wasn't a threat to Morgan."

"Where was Lucky shot?" Taggert hadn't released that piece of information to the public. If Tom Madigan were just trying to get his name in the paper, this would tell him.

Tom thought for a second then answered, "In the chest. He didn't have a chance. Morgan stood over him and pulled the trigger."

Taggert smiled. He liked Madigan's answer. "What did Morgan do then?"

"He took off in the opposite direction. Then before I could do anything the dockworker came and found the body."

"Why didn't you say anything at the time?"

Tom hesitated before speaking. "I was frozen. I had never seen anyone kill someone before. I saw Morgan's face. It was cold and unfeeling. He didn't even blink when he pulled the trigger. It was like he was swatting a fly or something. Not a human being. When I heard the police sirens, I ran. I didn't want him to come after me."

Taggert could see how frighten Madigan was. He gave the man a lot of credit for coming forward. It took a lot of gusts to come here and put his life on the line. He would make sure Corinthos would be able to touch this man. He would protect him with his life if he needed to. Morgan was finally going to go to jail.

"I'll make sure you're protected Mr. Madigan. Corinthos and Morgan won't be able to touch you or your wife," he promised.

He left Madigan to call Dara Jensen, the District Attorney. He needed her to come down and speak to the witness, and then start the ball rolling for witness protection. It was amazing how quickly life changes, he thought. Only a few hours ago, he thought Morgan was going to get off. Now they had everything they needed to put him away for the rest of his life. He ignored the voice inside him telling him it was too good to be true. All he cared about was Morgan behind bars, and Tom Madigan was going to put him there.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Walking into her old room, her first thought was that it hadn't changed. It looked exactly the same as it did 18 months ago when she'd declared her independence and moved out to live in her studio. Her grandmother hadn't changed a thing. Everything was exactly the way she remembered it.

When her grandmother had first suggested she come to stay with her after her release from the hospital, Elizabeth had refused the idea. She'd thought it would be taking a step backwards, like she wanted to hide from the world. But after running through the hoard reporters at the hospital, she knew her grandmother's was the best place to be. The reporters wouldn't bother her here. They were probably stalking out Kelly's right this minute hoping Elizabeth would talk to them.

Those vultures didn't care about anything but a juicy story. At first Audrey and Emily had tried to keep her from seeing the news. They refused to bring her a newspaper and would not allow her to watch television during news time. They'd argued she shouldn't get upset while she was trying to heal. She loved them for trying to protect her, but she knew they were only prolonging the inevitable. She couldn't ignore what was going on outside her hospital room.

However bad she thought it would be, it turned out to be worse. The headlines roared of a love triangle between the next Face of Deception, the mob enforcer and the lowly photographer. Each article painted Lucky as the innocent victim. They completely ignored her and Lucky's past relationship saying that Elizabeth was only using Lucky to get the Face of Deception position. They quoted an anonymous source who claimed Elizabeth was seeing Jason on the side and was only waiting for Laura to give her the job before she dumped Lucky. It was so funny she wanted to laugh but knew she would end up crying. How could this be happening?

She jumped as the phone began to ring. She knew Emily was worried about her. Emily had wanted to come home with her, but she'd told her she would be okay, especially when her grandmother was here. Emily had spent almost everyday with her at the hospital. Elizabeth told her she needed to spend some time with Zander before he forgot what his girlfriend looks like. She looked at the clock on her desk. Emily couldn't even last fifteen minutes without checking on her.

"Emily, I'm fine," she said into the phone. "You shouldn't be checking up on me. You should be making out with Zander. He's …"

"Miss Webber? My name is Sandra Parker from The Port Charles Gazette. Do have a moment to answer some questions about the up coming murder trial?"

"No. Leave me alone," she shouted before slamming the phone down. God, she had thought it would take them longer to figure out where she was. She'd hoped for at least a day to herself before the media started pounding on her door.

She moved to her window to see if there were any reporters outside. She scanned the street but couldn't see anyone. Yet. She knew it would only be a matter of minutes before they made their appearance. She needed to leave before they could follow her. She didn't want them to hound her every move, especially with what she needed to do. Grabbing her coat she headed downstairs to tell her grandmother.

"Grams," she yelled. "I'm going out for a few hours."

"What?" Audrey came into the living from the kitchen. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

Elizabeth stopped at the front door. "I needed to do some things. I was going to go later, but that call was from a reporter. All of them are going to be here soon, and then I won't be able to leave."

"Well, you shouldn't," Audrey voiced. "You just got out of the hospital. You need to rest."

"Grams, I've been resting for weeks. I need to go. Please don't worry. I'll be fine." She opened the door and walked out before Audrey could object.

She walked tentatively through the cemetery. She knew she had to do this but was still hesitant. She wished she had let Emily come with her. Maybe then it wouldn't seem so surreal. It wasn't everyday a person went to the place their boyfriend had been buried for the second time. She had come by here so often the first time around that she didn't need directions to Lucky's grave site. She stopped near the gravestone. Everything was exactly the same except for the date of Lucky's death - now it read March 12, 2001.

Elizabeth remembered the first time she had come here. At the time, she'd felt like her world was over. Lucky was dead, and she was struggling to live without him. She'd wanted to die too. Now the second time around she was glad she was alive. She brought her hand to her scar. It was covered by her sweater, but she could still feel it.

A tear fell down her cheek. She didn't know how she would feel coming here. Lucky had almost ended her life. Should she hate him? She couldn't. She refused to think about the Lucky who'd manipulated and controlled her. She preferred to remember Lucky to way he was before the kidnapping. That was who was buried here. If she closed her eyes, she could almost forget these past two years and pretend that Lucky never came back. She wanted to mourn the loss of the friend who helped her through the most horrible time in her life. She missed that friend. When she'd left Jason's that day, she naively hoped Lucky and her could remain friends after they broke up. She hadn't realized just how obsessed he was.

The guilt attacked her again. Was there something she could have done differently that day? Said something differently to change the outcome? If she had, maybe Lucky would still be alive. Maybe he could have gotten the help he needed. Then he would realize that they weren't meant to be together. All she'd ever wanted was for Lucky to be happy. Now he would never get that chance.

"You shouldn't be here."

Elizabeth turned to see Nikolas standing a few feet away. She had been so deep in thought she hadn't heard him walk up. The day she woke up was the last day she'd seen him. Emily tried to cover by saying he was tied up in funeral arrangements and business matters, but she knew Nikolas was angry at her for telling the police Lucky shot her.

"I just wanted to say goodbye to Lucky," she said wiping the tears from her face.

Nikolas' mouth twisted in anger. "Don't give me that mourned lover act. You don't have the right to stand here and shed tears over Lucky's grave when your lover killed him."

Elizabeth knew Nikolas was angry, she just didn't realize how much he hated her. "That's not true."

Nikolas took a step closer to her. "It is true. Lucky suspected you were cheating on him, but I told him no, not Elizabeth. She loves you. Boy, was I stupid. When he confronted you, your lover shot him."

Elizabeth took a step back. "That's not what happened. Lucky went after Jason with a gun. Lucky pulled the trigger. Lucky shot me."

"You're lying," he screamed. "Lucky would never hurt you. You know that. He loved you, would do anything for you."

"He didn't mean to shoot me," she argued. "He was trying to kill Jason."

"How can you stand over Lucky's grave and lie to me?" Nikolas refused to listen to what Elizabeth was saying. He didn't want to hear anymore of her lies.

"I'm not lying, Nikolas," she insisted. "Lucky needed help. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before it was too late. I wish things could have been different. You don't know how much I wish Lucky was still alive."

"But he's not. Your boyfriend killed him, and now he's going to jail," he smiled sinisterly. "If it was up to me, you would be in the next cell. You may not have pulled the trigger, but you killed Lucky as easily as if you did. He tore himself up wondering why you couldn't love him like he loved you."

"I did love him," she yelled but Nikolas wasn't listening.

"He would tell me about how you flirted with all the male customers to get bigger tips. He told me he thought there was something going on between you and Sonny Corinthos. I didn't believe it. You were in love with my brother, and Sonny was happily married. But then I saw you two at the launch party. You were so comfortable with each other. I could tell there was something more between you than just a casual friendship.

"Then there was Jason. He didn't even have to say anything about Jason. I knew as soon as Jason returned you would go running to him. My God, you didn't even wait a year before sleeping with him when Lucky was kidnapped. If you couldn't respect Lucky in death, you certainly weren't going to while he was alive.

"Why couldn't you have just broken up with him? Why did you have to string Lucky along and go behind his back with Morgan? Did you know he was going to propose? Did you?"

Elizabeth couldn't speak. She could only shake her head. She couldn't believe Nikolas would think she was capable of what he accused her of. Didn't he know her at all? How could he think she was sleeping with Sonny and Jason behind Lucky's back? Because Lucky told him. Nikolas loved his brother and would always be on his side.

He looked down at her as if she was some peasant beneath his royal standing. "We went out together. He picked out a beautiful ring he was sure you were going to love. He had it all planned. He was going to ask you after you were voted the Face of Deception. Your world tour was going to be your honeymoon."

Elizabeth had had enough. Her guilt was only going to allow her to take so much. "I never wanted to be the Face of Deception. I only did it to make Lucky happy. Everything I have done since Lucky's return I did to make him happy. When he threw me aside and said he didn't love me, I accepted it and didn't argue. When he came knocking on my door, saying it was all a trick and he wanted me back, I opened my arms to him. He didn't even say he was sorry for hurting me that whole summer. He didn't care. He just assumed I would take him back, and stupid me, I did. He decided he wanted to be a photographer, then I had to be the model. You know, he didn't even ask me if I wanted to be a model. He just mentioned it like it was already agreed on. I didn't get a say in my own life."

She paused to take a breath. "Lucky didn't love me. He wanted to control me. He didn't like me living in my studio, so I took the room beside him at Kelly's. He didn't want me to be friends with Jason, so I ended my friendship. By the launch party, he was practically speaking for me, telling me when to eat and when to sleep. I couldn't live that way anymore."

"So you got your friend Jason to take care of him."

Elizabeth was dumbstruck. Had Nikolas heard anything she'd just said? "No, I didn't. Lucky shot me, Nikolas, not the other way around. I didn't make him buy a gun and go after Jason. That was his decision. You can't blame me for that. I don't know who killed him, and frankly, right now I don't care. I didn't come here to mourn the man who died. I'm here to remember the boy I loved. The boy that died in the fire. He's the person lying in this grave, not the person you buried four weeks ago. He is the one I will never forget and love till the day I die. If you don't want to believe that then we have nothing else to say to each other."

She turned and walked away without waiting for his response. She didn't want to fight with him anymore. Nikolas wanted to believe Lucky was the victim. Maybe he needed to believe it. As much as it pained her to lose another friend, she knew she didn't have a choice. There was no way they could get past this. He refused to listen to the truth, and she refused to lie to make him feel better. She hoped there would come a time when they can be friends again, but she doubted it.

She made her way through the park to get to Harbour View Towers, but made a point to avoid the place where she was shot. She knew she wasn't strong enough to go there and relive the shooting. The dreams were almost gone, and she didn't want to do anything to cause them to return. She entered the elevator with little difficulty from the guards. They all knew who she was by now even if they'd never seen her in person. She was the reason one of their bosses was behind bars.

She stopped at the door to Penthouse 4. There was no guard, so she knocked herself. She was wondering if Sonny was home when the door opened to reveal that man she wanted to see.

"Elizabeth," he said. She could hear the surprise in his voice. He hadn't expected her to be on his doorstep.

"Hi, Sonny," she began hesitantly. He hadn't moved or gestured for her to come in. "Can I come in?"

He moved quickly away from the door to let her enter the penthouse. "Come in, come in. I'm sorry. You were the last person I expected to see at my door. Alexis told me you were being released today, but I figured you'd want to rest at your grandmother's."

She walked to the couch but didn't sit down. "I'm tired of resting. I needed to get out."

He closed the door and looked tentatively to the stairs. Carly was upstairs with Michael. He hoped she wouldn't decide to come down. He didn't want Elizabeth to have to deal with Carly while Jason was still in prison. "Are you okay? Everything is all right? Has the press been bothering you? Is there anything I can do?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I'm fine. Everything is good. Yes, the press are bothering me, but I can take care of them. Yes, there is something you can do for me." She paused not sure how to ask what she came to ask.

Sonny could see Elizabeth was struggling with something. "What? I'll do anything for you, you know that?"

She decided straight forward was always the best method. "I want to see Jason, and I know you can make that happen."


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Sonny was at a loss for words. He wasn't expecting Elizabeth to ask for that. "Jason is in a maximum security prison."

"I know that," she said deciding to sit down. "But I also know you are who you are. I'm sure you've been in constant contact with him."

He nodded. He wasn't going to lie to Elizabeth, especially when it's about Jason. "Yes, I have, but I haven't seen him. We communicate through a third party."

She thought for a moment. "This third party works inside the prison, right?"

Sonny didn't know how the respond. Unlike Carly, who wanted to involve herself in his business, Elizabeth already was. Grant it, she'd only been involved on the outer edges of the business, she knew more than he would like.

Elizabeth took his silence as a yes. Ideas started forming in her head. "Sonny, this third party can smuggle me into the prison."

"What?" Sonny needed to check his hearing. "You did not just ask me to smuggle you into a maximum security prison filled with rapists and murderers. You don't even know who this third party is. He could be another inmate."

She smiled as the idea took shape in her mind. "I know you would protect me. You wouldn't let anything happen to me. Besides, I'm pretty sure your third party isn't some inmate. I know you, Sonny, you have a lot of power. This person has got to be high up the prison system to be able to constantly talk to Jason without anyone questioning it." She stopped to think of possible candidates. "A doctor in the infirmary, perhaps or someone who works with the warden."

Sonny's face hardened at the last choice. Elizabeth didn't miss it. "That's it. You have someone working in the warden's office. He probably calls Jason in, in the guise of relaying info from Alexis or to take Alexis' call, when really it's you."

He almost swore. Had he lost his touch or was Elizabeth that good? "Elizabeth, you're letting your mind run away with you."

"You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone," she told him. "I just need to see Jason. I don't care how risky it is. I need to do this."

"Why? The trial begins next week. You'll be able to see him then."

"No, I won't. As a witness, I won't be allowed in the courtroom. And the DA is still restricting Jason's visits to Alexis." She stood and walked to him. "There is a lot I need to say to him before the trial starts."

He sighed. He didn't think this was a good idea. What if someone found out about Elizabeth visit? "I understand you need to talk to him, but ..."

"No, you don't understand," she insisted. "You don't know what it's like to wake up every day screaming because you dream the person you love is dying in front of you and you can't do a thing to stop it. I see Jason die every night. I need to see him alive. I need to touch him and know that the dreams aren't real."

Sonny wanted to refuse her but couldn't. He knew the dreams that plagued her. He had had similar dreams after Lily's death. In his case they were real. Lily had died in the car bomb, but Jason was still alive. She needed to see Jason to put those dreams to rest.

He looked at the woman in front of him. She had become more than just a friend. She was part of his family. "Okay, let me make some calls," he said walking to the stairs. "I'll see when it can be arranged."

Sonny climbed the stairs and headed for his study leaving Elizabeth alone to pace around the living room. She couldn't sit and wait for Sonny. There was too much nervous energy racing through her. Would Jason want to see her? Would he turn away from her and tell her to leave? What would she do if Jason didn't want to see her?

She had had more arguments with herself about this than she could remember. Both Emily and Alexis assured her that Jason loved her and wouldn't blame her for what happened. While she agreed, it didn't mean Jason would welcome seeing her. She knew him too well. He would refuse to see her for her own protection. He would use this as a reason to keep them apart. She remembered when Sorel had tried to bomb her studio. Jason ended their friendship to protect her, but all it did was hurt the two of them. She had convinced him then that their friendship was worth the risk, and she was sure she would have to do it again.

Only this time she wasn't sure she could. She wasn't even really sure she wanted to. There was so much standing between them. Jason was going on trial for killing Lucky. How could they get past that? She knew Jason didn't kill Lucky, but the didn't mean he would be acquitted. Elizabeth could see Alexis was worried. She tried to present a brave face in front of Elizabeth , but with the eye witness, she knew it didn't look good. She didn't want think about the possibility of Jason being convicted. It couldn't happen. He didn't kill Lucky, and he wouldn't spend the rest of his life behind bars.

But what about their life together when he was acquitted? Only Sonny and Emily were happy about their relationship. Were they strong enough to survive everyone else that wanted them apart? Carly hated her. There was no way she was going to accept Elizabeth in Jason's life. As much as she didn't understand it, Carly meant a lot to Jason. Jason would always be connected to Carly through Michael and Sonny. Would Carly prevent Jason from seeing Michael if he stayed with her? Elizabeth didn't want to be the reason Jason lost Michael again.

There was also Nikolas and her grandmother to consider. They both hated Jason and wanted her away from him. Right now Elizabeth didn't care about Nikolas. He had said enough at the cemetery for her to know their friendship was over, but her grandmother was different. Elizabeth knew Audrey wasn't happy with her past relationship with Jason. She had been so sure Jason was going to get her killed. Little did she know then that Elizabeth would almost die because of Lucky and not Jason. She knew Audrey would not accept Jason in Elizabeth's life. Was she willing to lose the only relationship she had with her family to be with Jason?

She didn't even want to think about Luke and Laura. Neither had come to see her in the hospital after she woke up. She didn't know if it was because they blamed her for Lucky's death, or if they felt guilty about Lucky shooting her. Either way, her surrogate family was falling apart. She knew they wouldn't be able to see her with Jason. It would be a constant reminder of what they had lost.

Was it worth losing everything and everyone in their lives to be together? As much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn't. On the other hand, could she go back to the pretence her life had been? Could she live without Jason and pretend she was happy? Because she knew she would be pretending. She was only happy with Jason. She couldn't see how her family could ask her to give up the one thing that made her truly happy just to make them happy.

She slumped back down on the couch. Why was everything so complicated? She wished she could just jump on the back on Jason's motorcycle and ride the cliff road as fast as they could. She just wanted to feel the wind on her face and forget everything and everyone.

"What are you doing in my home?"

She turned to see Carly at the top of the stairs. "I needed to talk to Sonny."

"No, what you need is to leave and stay away from my family," Carly commanded as she approached the younger woman.

"Carly, I didn't come here to fight with you," Elizabeth tried to appease her before things went too far.

"I don't care why you came here," she stated. "I don't want you here. You are the reason Jason is in prison right now as we speak. I always knew you weren't good enough for him and now I have proof. You have played him since the day he came back, pretending to care about him then breaking it off only to go running back to him when Lucky did something you didn't like. You have hurt Jason enough, and I am not going to let you get another chance."

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about." Elizabeth tried to move away from Carly, but Carly wouldn't let her.

"I do know what I'm talking about. I heard Jason tell Sonny that you wanted to be with Lucky. I heard the pain in his voice. I saw him bury himself in his work to try and forget what you had done to him. You couldn't stay away could you? You needed to make Lucky jealous so you went running to Jason. I'm sure you didn't expect Lucky to have a gun, but I do know you didn't care if Jason got hurt. You only wanted to punish Lucky for whatever crime you thought he had done to you."

Elizabeth refused to let Carly make her feel guilty. She blamed herself enough without having Carly point out all of her mistakes. "Do you really want to get into a who hurt Jason more contest? Because I didn't take his son away from him. I didn't try to run his girlfriend out of town and then marry his brother, the brother that almost killed him and hates everything about him. I didn't sleep with his best friend while he was shot and bleeding to death."

"Why you little bitch!" Carly raised her hand to slap Elizabeth, but Elizabeth caught her wrist before she could make contact.

"I may have just gotten out of the hospital, Carly, but I can still take you," she said shoving Carly aside, so Elizabeth could move away.

"What is going on here?" Sonny's booming voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Sonny, I want Elizabeth out of my house right now!"

Sonny sighed. "Carly, why don't you go back upstairs and let me finish my business with Elizabeth."

She shook her head. "No, Jason is my friend. I have a right to know what is going on and to stop you from making a big mistake. That woman is the reason Jason is in jail rather than here playing with Michael. Don't you care about that?"

"Carly, stop it. Elizabeth is not the reason Jason in jail. Someone is trying to frame him and using Lucky's death to do it."

"But Jason wouldn't even be involved if it wasn't for her," Carly insisted. "She has done nothing but hurt Jason and I am not going let her continue."

"That is not your decision to make," he replied. "Jason loves her. Do you think he would be happy about you trying to hit her the day she got out of the hospital?"

Carly thought of the last conversation she had with Jason. He'd threatened to end their friendship if she couldn't be nice to Elizabeth. She'd promised to be nice on the condition Elizabeth didn't hurt him. In her mind that promise became null and void when Jason was arrested for killing Lucky. Elizabeth was to blame. "Jason's not thinking clearly. He's going to come to his senses and realize Elizabeth is only using him. She was having trouble with Lucky and needed Jason to get her out of it. She doesn't love him."

"You don't have the right to speak for me," Elizabeth finally speaking since Sonny arrived. "You have no idea how I feel about Jason. You have never cared. The only thing you care about is yourself. You have used Jason more times than any of us can remember. You don't love Jason. You're just afraid if he's with me, he won't be at your beck and call anymore."

"Why you ...," she lunged for the younger woman again only to be stopped by Sonny.

"Carly, stop," he ordered. "Elizabeth, why don't we go in the hall to finish our discussion?"

Elizabeth nodded and followed Sonny out the room. She took a deep breath to calm down. "Sonny, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have provoked her."

He sighed. "It's not your fault. Carly just scared about the trial and needs to blame someone."

"It's more than that and you know it," she insisted. "Carly has hated me ever since I became friends with Jason. She's never going to accept him and me together."

Sonny took her hand. "Don't let Carly influence your relationship with Jason."

She gave him a weak smile. "How can I not? Except for you and Emily, no one thinks we are a good idea. How could any relationship we have survive all the opposition to it?"

Sonny could see her point. There were many people in Port Charles who wouldn't like to see Elizabeth and Jason together not just his wife. "Just listen to your heart. It will lead you in the right direction." He paused and checked the door before continuing. "Everything is set for tomorrow. I'll send a limo in the morning to pick you up."

She shook her head, "No, the press will be at the house. I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby, okay."

He nodded, "Okay. Are you sure you don't want me to do anything about the media hounding you?"

"No, Sonny, you've done enough for me already," she said pushing the button to bring the elevator. "Thank you so much." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hugged him just as the elevator doors opened. With a final kiss, she entered the elevator. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sonny stared at the closed elevator doors readying himself to face his wife. He took a deep breath and entered his home.

"I want to know what she wanted from you," she yelled as soon as he stepped into the room.

"Carly, you need to stop blaming Elizabeth for what we did to Jason."

Carly paused in her retort. She was stunned by Sonny's assessment of her. "I'm not doing that."

He took her hands and led her to the couch. "You have hated Elizabeth because Jason turned to her when we betrayed him. Elizabeth was not at fault, we were."

She shook her head not wanting to hear what he was saying. "No, I don't like Elizabeth Webber because she's not good enough for Jason."

"Only Jason can decide that, and Jason loves her," he said.

She yanked her hands away and crossed the room. She needed to separate herself from Sonny and his words. "He doesn't love her," she insisted.

Sonny stood. "Yes, he does. I don't know when he started, but I do know that he was in love with her when he left here the second time after he saved Emily. I think he came back to see if Elizabeth was ready to start a new relationship. It had been a year since Lucky's death. What he didn't know was Lucky had returned. Even though Elizabeth and Lucky were having problems, he didn't want to come between them."

"You see," she pointed her finger at him, "that just proves my point. She was stupid to want Lucky when Jason was there."

Sonny sighed. "This isn't about Elizabeth, Carly. This isn't even really about Jason. It's about you and your fear of losing Jason. You've hated Elizabeth from the beginning because you could see that Jason was falling for her. You were afraid Jason wouldn't want you in his life if he was with her. That's what drove you to me that night and that's what drives you today. You're afraid of losing Jason and you need to blame someone for that happening."

Tears began to form in her eyes, "He can't be convicted, Sonny."

He walked to her and took her in his arms. "He won't be."

"You don't know that," she said as she cried on his shoulder. "You don't know that Alexis will be able to get him off. He could spend the rest of his life in jail. Beside you, he's the only friend I have. I can't lose him."

He pulled back and took her face in his hands. "Listen to me. You not going to lose Jason. He's going to out of this, I promise. Jason didn't kill Lucky Spencer and the DA doesn't have enough evidence to say he did. This trial will be over before you know it , and Jason will be coming home. Do you want him to come home to you fighting with the woman he loves?"

She jerked her head away. Why did it always come back to that girl? What was so special about her? "She doesn't love him, Sonny."

"I don't know if she's in love with him or not, but I do know she loved him enough to step in front of a bullet for him. She saved his life, and almost lost her own. And he would do the same for her. Don't you think they deserve the chance to try and see what kind of relationship they could have?"

Carly couldn't reply. She didn't know what to think of Elizabeth protecting Jason. Could she really love him like he deserves to be loved? Jason meant so much to her. She looked around her and knew that she wouldn't have had any of this without him. She was happy with her husband and child, and she wanted the same thing for Jason. Elizabeth was right when she said Carly had hurt Jason more than anyone. She had done everything Elizabeth accused her of. That was why she hated Elizabeth so much. She didn't want Jason to hurt anymore. She wanted to make up for all the hurt she had put him through. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to have someone to love and be loved. She just didn't think Elizabeth was that someone.

"He deserves someone so much better than the would be artist and model," she said.

"That's his decision, Carly, not yours. If Elizabeth will make him happy, then you shouldn't get in the way of that. You need to accept Elizabeth in Jason's life."

"I don't think I can," she replied.

Sonny sighed. "You have to try because if you make Jason choose between you and Elizabeth, you might not like the outcome," he warned before going into the kitchen to start dinner.

Carly followed Sonny's exit with her eyes. She knew he was right. Jason had warned her already about his choice, she just wouldn't accept it. She and Elizabeth could never be good friends, she thought, not after everything she had done to the younger woman. But she had made a promise to Jason, and she needed to keep it. She needed to work with Elizabeth rather than against her. Then she could have the happy family she'd always wanted.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Elizabeth sat in the back of the limo nervously gripping her hands and staring out the window. For the millionth time since seeing Sonny, she wondered if this was the right thing. What if Jason turned her away? What if he hated her? What would she do then?

She didn't have an answer to that question. She didn't know what she would do. Right now her life was in chaos. Lucky was dead. Jason was in jail. Nikolas hated her, blaming her for Lucky's death. Her grandmother was insisting they leave Port Charles after the trial. She had even begun looking at art schools in the west that Elizabeth could transfer to. She didn't want to leave Port Charles. This was her home. She wasn't going to let her grandmother take her away from the only home she'd ever really known, even if she knew Audrey was trying to protect her.

She knew her grandmother was worried about her and her involvement with Jason. Audrey still blamed Jason for what happened even though Lucky pulled the trigger. She refused to believe that Lucky was the person Elizabeth said he was. Elizabeth couldn't blame her. She had kept everything that was going on between her and Lucky to herself. The only person who really knew what Lucky was like was Jason, and now it was hard for everyone else to believe Lucky was the controlling possessive boyfriend she claimed he was.

Looking back, she could see all the times she lied and told her grandmother she and Lucky were so happy. At the time, she didn't want anyone to know about the problems they were having. She didn't want anyone to see how unhappy she was. She shouldn't have been. Her first love had miraculously returned from the dead, what did she have to be unhappy about? But if she had confided in someone before Jason even came back, maybe none of this would have happened.

Oh, God, she needed to stop this. Stop with the second guessing and self blame. As much as she regretted the way she handled the situation, she couldn't change what happened. She needed to think about what she could do, she thought looking at the big grey building they were pulling into. She hadn't saved Lucky, but she could save Jason. She just needed to figure out how.

The limo drove past the main entrance and continued around to the side of the large enclosure. It stopped at a door with no handle. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She looked to Johnny sitting behind the wheel for guidance. He could see the question in her eyes from the rear view mirror.

"Wait inside, Miss Webber, while I go check things out," he said before he exited the car.

He walked to the door and knocked. After a few moments, the door opened. From her position, she couldn't see inside. She could only watch as Johnny went inside leaving her alone in the car. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she would have a heart attack. Should she go to the door and knock or wait for Johnny? Before she could make a decision, Johnny returned.

"Miss Webber, please follow me," he said after he opened her door.

She exited the car and followed him into the building. The door, she realized upon entering, was an emergency exit. She looked up and down the stairwell searching for the person who let them in but saw no one. Who was it? Where did they go now without someone to show them the way?

"This way, Miss Webber," Johnny said indicating the stairs going up.

She followed quietly behind both worried and excited at the same time. Each step was bringing her closer to Jason but it was also taking her deeper into the prison. Were they anywhere near the inmates? Would she have to pass any of them to meet Jason? Was she strong enough to walk in front of rapists and murderers? She wondered if her rapist was somewhere in this prison. Would she have to see him again? She shook her head to shake away her thoughts. None of that mattered if she saw Jason. She would do anything she had to to make that happen. Even face her old demons.

Johnny led her to the top floor of the building and into a deserted office. She wondered where the employees were. How had Sonny gotten them away from their desks so that she could be here? She looked around the office as if something on a desk or chair could give her the clues to figure it out? It looked like at least two people worked here, but not today. It didn't look like anyone had come in to work today. Were they all given the day off? How much power did Sonny have? She knew he was a powerful man, but she hadn't realized how powerful.

They stopped at the warden's office and Johnny gave a soft knock on the door. Elizabeth's eyes widened in amazement when the door opened and a short balding man welcomed them in. The third party Sonny spoke of was the warden?

"Hello, Miss Webber, my name is Anthony Krebs. I'm the warden of this facility," he said pointing to a chair for her to sit down.

"Thank you, Mr. Krebs, for indulging my request," she said nervously. Now that she was here, she realized just how much this person was risking to accommodate her desire to see Jason. If anyone suspected he was connected to Sonny Corinthos in anyway, he would lose his position at this facility. He might even become a resident of one himself. She wouldn't want that to happen.

"It is my pleasure, I assure you," he replied as he took his seat behind his desk. "I am glad to honour any request of Mr. Corinthos. He has always been very generous to me and my family."

Elizabeth nodded not sure how to respond to that. She didn't want to comment on Sonny's business, and she really didn't want to know how he and Jason ran their territory. She was just happy they both trusted her enough to let her in once and a while. She didn't need to be completely involved in that life. She was quite happy to paint and work at Kelly's and let Jason and Sonny take care of the business.

A knock at the door prevented her from responding to the warden's comment. Krebs quickly moved to the door and opened it just enough to talk to the person or persons outside. Elizabeth strained to listen, but only heard muffled sounds she couldn't make into words.

After a brief conversation, Krebs opened the door fully and waved the person outside to come in. Elizabeth stood holding her breath in anticipation of seeing Jason. He stepped into the room but kept his head turned to the warden as he continued to speak.

"Jason."

He stopped when he heard his name. For a moment he thought it was Elizabeth calling his name, but that couldn't be. Elizabeth wouldn't be here in Krebs' office in a maximum security prison. He turned expecting to see Alexis, instead stared into eyes he hadn't seen in over a month.

Neither moved. Both were too overcome by emotion to do anything but stare into each other's eyes. Neither noticed when Johnny and Krebs left the office closing the door behind them.

"Elizabeth, are you really here?" Jason asked unsure if who he was seeing was real or in his head.

She couldn't speak. She could only nod and gorge herself on the sight of him. His hair was longer then usual and he had lost some weight, but he was perfect to her eyes. When her eyes finally had their fill, her feet sprung into action and propelled her into his arms. She held him so tightly, she was afraid he couldn't breathe. She would have pulled back, but he held her just as tightly. She buried her head into the crook of his neck savouring the feel of his arms around her.

All her anxiety and doubt vanished. This was where she wanted to be. It didn't matter that her grandmother or Carly or Nikolas or the Spencers were against them. There wasn't anywhere on this earth she wanted to be if Jason couldn't be there with her.

Finally he released her just enough to pull back and take her face in his hands. He still couldn't believe Elizabeth was standing in front of him. This couldn't be real, and yet he was holding her in his hands.

Without speaking, they both moved closer until their mouths met and fused. Neither held anything back creating an explosion of sensation that nearly knocked both of them off their feet. The kiss was heightened not only because of their month separation but from their desperate need to assure themselves that the other was alive and well.

Jason's body pressed against hers, and she could feel his warmth in her breasts, in her thighs - and deep inside her, where desire had begun to stir and simmer. He drew a hand slowly down her back, tracing the shallow dip of her spine and then settling at her hip. He shifted her closer to him and she realized that she wasn't the only one who was becoming aroused by the embrace. Elizabeth rocked lightly against him eliciting a heartfelt groan for her efforts.

"Elizabeth," he muttered, cupping her face between his hands. "We can't do this, not here."

She didn't want to listen to common sense. She didn't care where she was, she just wanted to feel him on every part of her body and know that they were alive and together. She pulled him down for another kiss before he could say anything else.

He took the lead thrusting his tongue between her lips. His leg pushed between her, settling her even more firmly against him. He kissed her until her head buzzed from lack of oxygen. She didn't complain. Right now, she needed Jason more than she needed her next breath. Elizabeth was trembling when the kiss finally ended. And even more amazingly, he was, too.

He drew her to the couch by the far wall and pulled her down into his arms. She made no effort to resist. When he lowered her to the cushions, she pulled him down with her, sliding her hands over his shoulders to lock behind his neck.

He nuzzled her temple, rubbed his lips across her cheek, kissed the tip of her nose and chin. He nibbled at her lower lip and traced her mouth with the tip of his tongue. Even as Elizabeth concentrated on the pleasure he gave her with his clever mouth, she was aware of his hand slipping beneath the hem of her sweater. His fingers slid across her stomach, which contracted in reaction. He sketched a circle around her navel then finger-walked up her ribs.

He pulled back just far enough to lift her sweater over her head and discard it on the floor. He stopped when he saw the scar running down her chest. She gasped and tried to cover it with her hands, but he gripped them and brought them to her sides. He traced the scar with his finger then leaned down and followed his finger with gentle kisses. He rested his ear above her left breast and listened to her heartbeat.

Elizabeth gripped his head and forced him to face her. She could see the gambit of emotions flowing through him. He had almost lost her, and he didn't know if he could survive losing her a second time. She was so amazed at the depth of emotion he felt for her. She chided herself once more for not realizing sooner that this was who she wanted to be with.

She loved everything about him - everything she had come to know during the past two years, and everything she had discovered in the past half hour. She was deeply, desperately in love with Jason Morgan, and she was more than ready to show him. She pulled him down for another earth-shattering kiss.

She didn't know how it happened but the next time Jason looked down at her the remaining of their clothes had found their way to the floor. He needed a final assurance that this was what she wanted. Even though his body was screaming for completion, he was willing to stop if she changed her mind. She wrapped herself around him as an answer and he lowered himself to her.

She rose to welcome him when he joined them with one deep, smooth thrust. She gasped, quivered and then moved eagerly with him. The explosion came swiftly, rocking through her, forcing a cry from her throat. He held her, murmured her name, and waited until she'd wrung every ripple of pleasure from the experience before giving in to his own need. He stiffened and gasped her name. Holding him closely, she thought how right her name sounded on his lips - and knew she would never forget this moment of pure joy.

No matter what the future had in store for them.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Jason didn't want to open his eyes and see the stark, cold walls of his cell. He was dreaming of Elizabeth. Until now all of his dreams were nightmares where he was forced to stand aside and watch Elizabeth fall to the ground as the bullet entered her body. He tried to move his feet but they were attached to the ground. All he could do was watch helplessly as she died in front of him. The dreams plagued him every night, sometimes even during the day. Today was the first good dream, he'd ever had. Elizabeth was alive and she'd come to him. They'd made love in the warden's office. He'd never had an erotic dream before. It had felt so real, he wanted it to continue. If these were the dreams he would have from now on, he might never want to wake up again.

He felt a small movement under his arms and opened his eyes instantly. He was holding something - someone - in his arms. He reached up to rubbed his eyes only to feel hair covering his face. The person beside him moaned and shifted closer to him. It wasn't a dream, he realized. Elizabeth really did come to see him. They really were lying on the warden's couch naked. How long had they been there? He tried to lift his head to find a clock but couldn't see one. However, the sun coming through the window told him they couldn't have been there very long.

He shifted his attention back to the sleeping woman. He should wake her. He didn't know how long the warden was going to give them, but he didn't want Elizabeth to be embarrassed if Krebs walked in on them like this. He brushed back her hair to whisper in her ear but couldn't say the words. He didn't want to disturb this moment. When Elizabeth woke, they would be forced back to the present where he was about to go on trial for murdering her boyfriend. He wanted to close his eyes and pretend they were lying on the couch in her studio rather than in a maximum security prison but knew he couldn't.

How did she get here? She must have gone to Sonny, but he couldn't believe Sonny had okayed it. He wondered just how long Sonny resisted Elizabeth's stubborn determination. Obviously not long since she was here. He remembered how hard she fought for him that winter when he'd tried to protect her by staying away. Elizabeth got her way then and it seems she'd gotten her way again.

He'd been so afraid she would allow her friends and family to influence her belief in him, but the second he saw her, he knew she hadn't. Her coming to see him told him everything he needed to know. She loved him. He knew that without her having to say the words. He tightened his hold around her. He wished he didn't have to let her go.

She shifted again and brought her hand up to his arm. "Jason?"

"I'm here," he whispered. "Elizabeth, we can't stay like this. We have to get dress before Krebs comes back."

Her eyes flew open. Oh, my God, she thought. She was lying naked on a couch in the warden's office of a maximum security prison with Jason's arms around her. Images of the last hour came to her. She couldn't believe everything she had done. She'd practically attacked him the minute he walked into the office. She remembered Jason pulling back trying to stop things before they went too far, but she wouldn't listen. She'd never done anything like this before. She'd never been the one to initiate sex before. She always thought it was because of the rape she was apprehensive about sex, but with Jason it never entered her mind. In fact, her brain had been empty. She hadn't thought; she just felt. She let herself be taken away to a lace where only she and Jason existed. Looking around the room now she realized they were back in reality.

She sat up and bent over to grab her clothes from the floor. She gripped them tightly in front of her and moved to the chair by the desk keeping her back to Jason. She didn't know what to say. What do you say after attacking someone and having sex with them in someone's office? What could he be thinking? Did he think she was like Carly - ready to have sex anywhere and everywhere? She began dressing quietly never turning to look at him.

Jason slowly sat up and stared at her rigid back. Did she regret what happened between them? Is that why she wouldn't look at him? Was she ashamed of what they had done? He quickly got dresses never taking his eyes from her back. This wasn't how he'd wanted their first time together to be like, but he couldn't wish it didn't happen. He had loved her and wanted her for so long that he couldn't regret it happening. Even if it happened while he was in prison.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he reached for her. She stiffened. "Elizabeth, do you regret what we did?"

She turned around shocked by his question. "No, never." She shifted nervously gripping her hands in front of her.

Jason was worried. He thought coming here proved Elizabeth loved him and believed in him, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe, she came here to tell him she didn't want anything to do with him, that she hoped he would be convicted. No, he thought, that couldn't be right. She wouldn't have made love to him if she believed he was guilty.

"Please tell me what's wrong," he said as he touched her cheek.

She closed her eyes loving the feeling she got when he touched her. She was being a fool, she thought. Jason loved her. He wouldn't think less of her for being the aggressor during sex. 'Do you think I'm a slut?"

"What?" It was Jason's turn to be shocked. "Why would I think that?"

She moved away to stand by the window. It looked out to the prison courtyard. She could see the inmates participating in a variety of activities. "I attacked you, Jason. You wanted to stop and I wouldn't let you. I took advantage of you."

He sighed. Where did she get a crazy idea like that? He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Elizabeth, you didn't take advantage of me. I wanted it just as much as you did, even more so." He took her shoulders to turn her around and face him. "The only reason I tried to stop was because I didn't think you'd like our first time to be in a prison office. This wasn't what I wanted for you. You deserve better than this."

She shook her head. "No, I deserve you. That's all I want, Jason. I love you."

He cupped her face with his hands. "I love you, too," he said before leaning in to kiss her.

This kiss didn't have the passion and desire as the others. Instead it contained all the feelings neither could put into words. Even after everything that had happened and could still happen, they were together.

As the kiss ended, the activity in the courtyard caught his eye. What was he doing? He didn't have a future with Elizabeth. His future was a conviction for first degree murder, with a quiet prison break and private plane trip to Mexico before taking off under a new identity. He and Sonny had already planned everything. Everything, but Elizabeth. He couldn't ask her to give up her life and go with him. It was too much to ask. He tightened his grip around her never wanting to let go but knowing he had to. All he'd ever wanted was for Elizabeth to be happy, and he knew that she couldn't be happy running from country to country always looking over her shoulder waiting for when the police would finally catch up with them. That wasn't a life.

He didn't want her to wake up one morning and realize she had made a mistake in going with him. He didn't think he could handle loving her then losing her. It would be better for her and for him to end it now. Then she could meet someone who she could love and would love her. She could have the happy family with a husband, children and her painting without worrying that one day it would be taken away from her. And he could leave knowing that Elizabeth was safe, protected and happy.

"Elizabeth," he said.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. He didn't have to say anything. She could see it. He was going to push her away because of the trial. He was afraid he'd be convicted and wanted to protect her. She wasn't going to let him distance himself from her. They had been through too much to be apart now.

She pushed away from him shaking her head. "I won't let you push me away, Jason. I know you. You think you're doing what's best for me but it's not. You are what's best for me, nothing else."

"Elizabeth, we are standing in the warden's office of a maximum security prison. Outside are thousands of rapists and murderers that are my neighbours in the cellblock. I'm sure you had to be smuggled in here just to see me. Is that what's best for you?"

She nodded. "Yes, if it means I get to be with you. It took me a long time to figure that out, so I'm not going to waste anymore time because you think you're doing the noble thing."

He sighed. "I could be here for the rest of my life. Do you really want to do this every week? Are you really going to put aside your dreams again just to be with me? You already sacrificed yourself once with Lucky. I don't want you to do it again because of me."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You sound like you know you're going to be convicted. You didn't kill Lucky. The jury is going to see that. They won't convict you for something you didn't do."

He loved that she had complete faith in him and his innocence, but he didn't have the same confidence. Someone was going to a lot of trouble to frame him for Lucky's death. He knew Sonny was going through their enemies, but hadn't found anyone with motive, money, and opportunity to pull it off. The longer he thought about it, the more he believed he would be convicted.

Elizabeth took his silence for an answer. He couldn't give up. She wouldn't let him. "Jason, you have to believe you're getting out of here. You're not going to spend the rest of your life in this prison."

"I know I'm not," he said quietly.

She was confused. He thought he would be convicted but wouldn't go to jail. What did that mean? It came to her immediately. "You're going to run, aren't you?" She asked even though she knew the answer. That was why he was pushing her away. "You're going to run and you don't want me with you. I'm so stupid. I thought you loved me and wanted to be with me, but really you were planning to leave me behind."

"No," he said, "it's not like that. Elizabeth, I want more than anything to spend the rest of my life with you. But not on the run." He ran his hand through his hair. "You deserve so much more than to be looking over your shoulder wondering when the police will be knocking on our door. What kind of life is that? I love you too much to put you through all that. You will be better off staying here and making a happy life without me." He walked away and sat down on the couch holding his head in his hands.

Elizabeth stared at him for a long time before she moved. She knelt in front of him and raised his head to look into his eyes. "Do you really think I could be happy without you in my life? I love you. If you run, I will run with you."

"You don't know what you're saying. You don't understand what it will be like."

"I don't care, Jason," she said adamantly. "I don't care where we go. I just want to be with you. That's all that matters." She placed her finger on his mouth to prevent him from arguing. "For the past month all I've thought about is you and how much I have hurt you. Carly was right when she said I was selfish. I kept running to you when I had problems with Lucky then turned around and kept going back to him. I ended our friendship even though I didn't want to to make Lucky happy. Lucky went after you because of me." She looked around the office. "You're in here because of me."

He pulled her hand away from his mouth. "That's not true."

"It is true, but I'm not going to fight about that. My point is, for a long time I thought the best thing I could do for you would be to leave and never come back. I thought you would be better off without me in your life causing you so much heartache. But then I saw you today, and I knew anywhere I went, I would want you to be there. I can't function without you.

"I know you think leaving me is the right thing, but it isn't. The right thing for me is to be with you. That's the only way I will ever be truly happy," she paused to see if her words were getting through to him. "If you leave without me, then I'll follow you. Is that what you want? Me chasing after you from country to country. Now what kind of life would that be."

"Elizabeth, you're not making this easy," he sighed.

"Did you think I would?" She asked. She could see she was getting to him. "I would have thought you knew me better than that."

"You'll have to leave everyone and everything you love behind without a moment's notice," he said. He needed her to really understand what she was getting in for. "You won't be able to tell them goodbye. No one can know you were leaving until after it was over. Can you do that? Can you leave your grandmother without looking back?"

She frowned. Her grandmother would be so upset if she took off without saying anything. When she realized Elizabeth had run off with a fugitive, Audrey would be worried sick. Could she put her grandmother through that just to be with Jason? She looked at the man she loved and knew the answer.

"Yes," she said with determination. "I know I'll be hurting Grams, but this is my life. I'm not going to let other people dictate how I live my life and who I should love, including you.

"Jason, this isn't like before. With Lucky everything I did was to make him happy. Going with you isn't about making you happy, it's about making me happy." She smiled. "If you're happy, that's just a bonus."

He smiled in return and pulled her to him. He couldn't believe that this woman loved him and wanted to spend her life with him. The heaviness in his heart lifted. He wasn't going to lose her. He silently promised from that moment on, he would do everything in his power to make all of her dreams come true.

She pulled away and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Why are we even discussing this? We won't have to run. You are not going to be convicted. I know it. Alexis will do her magic and show the jury just how stupid the DA and police are. And even if I have to investigate on my own, we will find the person who is doing this to us and then you'll be free and we'll be together."

Jason was about to find out exactly what she meant when Johnny knocked on the door before sticking his head inside. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but it's time to go."

Elizabeth turned back to Jason and gave him a quick kiss before heading for the door. "I'll see you next week at the trial." She turned at the door and gave him sultry smile and said, "I love you."

She left without waiting for his reply leaving him standing in the middle of the room stunned. He needed to call Sonny. He wasn't sure what Elizabeth was up to, but he knew he didn't want her to get involved. Whoever was behind this had already killed Lucky. He didn't want Elizabeth to be his next victim.

6


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

The courtroom was empty but for one lone person. Dara Jensen sat at the prosecutor's table with her eyes closed. Soon this room would be jammed with people wanting to witness what was turning into the trial of the century for Port Charles. In a little under three hours, she would begin her prosecution of Jason Morgan for the first degree murder of Lucky Spencer. It was a trial that could make or break her career.

To most it seemed like an open and shut case. A love triangle that ended in death. Lucky Spencer was the jealous boyfriend going after the other man only to shoot the woman in question instead, with Jason Morgan taking matters into his own hands and killing his rival. Dara had all the evidence she needed to prove her case but was still worried something would go wrong.

Since Sonny Corinthos became the mob boss of Port Charles ten years ago, the police and DA's office had never come close to bringing him or his associates to justice. That she knew was largely due to Jason Morgan, Corinthos' enforcer and second-in-command. Morgan was cold and calculating. He never did anything without knowing all the angles and covering every minute detail.

That was what worried her. This case was too open and shut. Taggert liked to believe that Jason had let his feelings for Elizabeth Webber get in the way and that was why they had all the evidence they did against him. Jason Morgan finally made something personal and got caught. Dara wanted to agree with Taggert but couldn't. Not completely. The idea that someone was framing Jason just wouldn't go away. It just seemed too easy for a witness to walk into the PCPD and prove their case, especially when the crime was mob related. In her experience witnesses rarely spoke up against the mob for fear of retaliation. Tom Madigan's sudden arrival made her suspicious. Could his testimony be paid for? No, Taggert had made a thorough check into Madigan's financial situation. He was clean, so why couldn't she let her suspicions go?

Maybe that wasn't what bothered her. Maybe it was the idea of convicting an innocent man. Not that Jason Morgan was really an innocent man, she thought. Still, would she be happy putting him away for life for something he didn't do as punishment for everything she knew he had done but couldn't prove? Did she care that she would be allowing a murderer to escape prosecution and be free to kill again? If it was any other defendant, this wouldn't be an issue. But Jason Morgan was a professional killer. If someone else killed Lucky then Jason would be free to kill again. She couldn't win either way. She would just be exchanging one murderer for another. Did it really matter which murderer was punished for the crime?

"Dara, are you sitting here alone praying for a victory?" Alexis asked as she entered the courtroom and made her way to the defence table. She dropped the box she was carrying and opened it to removed the files inside.

Dara looked over to her opponent, pushing aside her feelings of doubt. "I don't need to pray. I have enough evidence to get the conviction I want." She paused. "You know, the deal for manslaughter 10-15 is still open."

Alexis put down the file she was scanning to consider the offer. "My client will not plead guilty to a crime he did not commit, and you know it. That tells me you're worried about the trial. Not 100 sure of your case are you, Dara?"

The other woman shook her head regretting her plea bargain offer. "I know I'll get a conviction. I just thought I would be generous since this case was really a crime of passion than a mob killing. Jason's still young. He could be out in fifteen years and still be able to have a good life rather than sitting on death row waiting for his execution."

"Well, isn't that nice of you to consider the best interests of my client. I suggest you spend more time finding Lucky's real killer than worrying about how long Jason is going to spend in jail," Alexis said before turning back to her file.

Dara stared at her for a moment before leaving the courtroom to confirm the arrival of her witnesses. She looked at her watch. The trial would be starting soon.

"My, my, my, don't we look nice," Taggert said sarcastically when he saw Morgan in his cell. He was wearing a black suit and blue dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar. He looked more like the successful businessman he pretended to be than the cold-blooded killer he really was.

"I'm here to walk you to the courtroom," he continued when Jason remained silent. Morgan had been transferred to the courthouse lock-up for the trial. Taggert made sure to arrange for extra security in case Corinthos had any ideas of a prison break. "Let's go," he said as he opened the cell door. "Your day of judgement awaits."

Jason walked slowly out of the cell stopping beside Taggert to raise his hands. He knew they weren't going to let him enter the courtroom without handcuffs. It had been the same since the start of jury deliberation. He knew Taggert didn't think Jason was going to try anything in the courtroom. He just wanted the media and everyone to see him for the dangerous criminal that he was.

The elevator ride was silent. Neither man desiring to converse with the other. As the elevator door opened, the flashbulbs blinded Jason.

"Mr. Morgan, is it true you are Sonny Corinthos' enforcer?"

"Was Lucky Spencer's death a mob hit?"

"Were you and Elizabeth Webber having a secret liaison?"

"Did you conspire with Miss Webber to kill Lucky Spencer?"

Jason kept his face blank refusing to acknowledge any of the ridiculous questions being thrown at him. He waited patiently for Taggert to push their way clear before following closely behind. Since the start of jury deliberation the media hounded him with question after question, but he had yet to answer anything. Jason hadn't even glanced in their direction but still they persisted. He worried about Elizabeth and how she was handling the media pressure. Sonny told him they were camped out on her grandmother's front lawn. He'd offered to help but Elizabeth had refused. He knew Sonny's involvement would only create more speculation, but he wished Elizabeth didn't have to go through all of this alone.

Taggert led him into the crowded courtroom. Jason scanned the room as he walked to the defence table. Even though he knew she wouldn't be present, he couldn't help but search for her face. He saw everyone but her. The Quartermaines were sitting in the back two rows, Luke and Laura were behind the prosecutor's table with an angry Nikolas beside them, and Emily sat with Sonny and Carly behind the defence table. Emily stood as he was about to pass. She stopped him to give him a hug of encouragement.

"Emily Quartermaine, what do you think you're doing?" Edward yelled as he walked towards them. It was bad enough that Jason was disgracing the family by this trial, they didn't need Emily to contribute as well.

"I'm giving my brother a hug. Do you have a problem with that?" Emily was tired of listening to her grandfather's continued insults about Jason. She knew he was only at the courthouse to save face with the media. He didn't really care if Jason went to prison. He was probably hoping for it. Then Edward wouldn't have to face another of his mistakes in town.

"I do if it means you're planning to sit beside this deviant Sonny Corinthos and his psycho of a wife. You are a Quartermaine and as such you should be with your family to show the media that we support Jason. I want you to sit beside AJ," he ordered.

"You don't care about Jason. You're just worried about how this trial makes the family look," she accused him. "I am going to sit beside the people who really love him and support him." She looked to Sonny and Carly. "They are his true family."

Edward huffed and wanted to argue but he could see she wasn't going to back down. With a final look of condemnation, he stalked back to the rest of his family waving his hand in the air to prevent the photographers from taking a good picture of him.

He slumped into the seat next to his son and said, "You need to control that girl."

Monica was the one the reply. "Edward, shut up. Emily is standing by her brother and I for one agree with her."

She stood and made her way to her younger son. She knew without a doubt that Jason was innocent. Whatever his mob dealings, Jason would never kill someone that was a friend to Emily. She stopped and waited for him to turn in her direction.

"Jason," she started nervously, "I just wanted to tell you I know you didn't do this. I wondered if you would mind if I sat with Emily and Mr. Corinthos to show my support."

Jason stared at the woman who was his mother. Gone was the look of sadness and regret he always saw. She wasn't wishing for the son she'd lost. Instead, she was reaching out to the man he was now. He didn't know what to say. He was too overcome with emotions he hadn't felt before to do anything but nod his approval.

"Thank you," she said as she took a hesitant step to hug him. When it looked like he wouldn't protest, she wrapped her arms around him. It had been so long since she'd been able to touch him in a loving way that she was overcome with joy.

As she stepped back a single tear fell down her cheek. She raised her hand to wipe it away, but Jason beat her to it. With his cuffed hands he gently brushed the tear away and said, "I'm glad you're here."

Monica wanted to burst into tears, but instead took her son's hand and gave it a small squeeze before taking her seat next to her daughter. Emily wiped the tears forming in her eyes and took her mother's hand. Monica smiled at her encouragingly. It was the first step to reconnecting with her son. She just hoped it wouldn't be for nothing if Jason was convicted.

Jason took his seat beside Alexis and raised his hands up to Taggert to remove the handcuffs.

"Are those really necessary?" Alexis asked the detective.

"You never know what Morgan here might do, counsellor," replied Taggert with a smirk. He walked away to find his own seat on the prosecution side.

Jason looked over his shoulder once more to see if maybe Elizabeth had just entered.

"She'd not here, Jason. She's waiting in the witness room for when she'll be called," Alexis said.

He faced forward never showing his disappointment.

Alexis opened her briefcase and retrieved what looked like a page of notepaper that was folded over. She handed it to him and said, "She wanted you to have this."

Jason took the note and read it. _"I'm sorry I can't be there in person, but remember that I love you and am with you always, Elizabeth_." He read it two more times before handing it back to Alexis.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voiced betraying the depth of his emotions.

Alexis squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. She wanted more than anything to tell him they would get through this, but even she couldn't say that for sure. Everything depended on the jury and what they thought.

"All rise," the bailiff ordered, "the honourable Judge Agnes Torrie presiding over the matter of the state verses Jason Morgan on the count of first degree of Lucas Spencer, Jr."

The judge took her seat and commanded the court to be seated. She then ordered the jury to be brought in. Jason looked over to the twelve people that would decide his fate. These eight women and four men who were supposed to be his peers? What could they possibly have in common with him? They didn't know him. All they saw was a mob enforcer. How could they decide if he was guilty or not?

He shifted his attention to the DA as she stood to begin her opening statements.

She positioned herself in front of the jury and began. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here to decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant Jason Morgan. The prosecution will show that the defendant blatantly and without malice took the law into his own hands to punish Lucky Spencer for the shooting of Elizabeth Webber."

Jason didn't want to here anymore. He hated how Lucky was being painted as the victim when really he was the controlling bastard that caused this to happen. Lucky wasn't the loving boyfriend that was wronged by his girlfriend. He didn't love Elizabeth. He just wanted to possess her.

"Stop scaring the jury," Alexis whispered indicating his menacing gaze with a head nod.

When Dara finished, she thanked the jury and returned to her seat. Alexis stood to take her place in front of the jury.

"Members of the jury, what the DA conveniently failed to mention in her opening statement were the words beyond a reasonable doubt. You can only convict if you are sure of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. She would love for you to ignore that statement and concentrate on my client's alleged illegal activities to cover up the fact that she doesn't have enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

"The evidence she is so confident will prove guilt is really just circumstantial. A murder weapon found in my client's dresser drawer without fingerprints. Now I ask you, why would my client take the time to wipe the gun of fingerprints then leave it in his room to be found. Her star witness, placing my client with the murder victim at the time of the shooting, suspiciously appeared just as the police's case against him was falling apart. The police didn't find this witness. He came to them out of the blue one day a week after the shooting took place. Where did he come from? And why didn't he talk to the police the day of the shooting instead of a week later?

"I intend to provided you with enough reasonable doubt that your only verdict must be an acquittal because anything else would be an injustice. Thank you."

Judge Torrie waited for Alexis to return to her seat at the defence table before addressing the prosecution.

"Is the state ready to begin their case?"

Dara stood. "Yes, your honour."

"Then call your first witness."

5


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"Detective Taggert, can you please tell this court the events that took place on March 14, 2001?"

Taggert took a deep breath and addressed the jury. "At approximately 3 PM I was called to the Port Charles Memorial Park because a shooting had taken place. When I got there I was informed that Elizabeth Webber had been shot and on her way to the hospital. Her condition was critical. She had taken a bullet to the chest and had lost a lot of blood. The first officer on the scene told me that Jason Morgan was present at the shooting, but he'd left with the ambulance. Witnesses questioned said they heard an argument between a man and a woman before hearing the gun shot. I then went to the hospital to find out about Elizabeth's condition and question Jason Morgan."

"Was Mr. Morgan at the hospital?" Dara asked looking over to Jason.

Taggert shook his head. "No, I spoke with Bobbie Spencer, the head nurse. She told me Morgan went to the surgical waiting area, but he wasn't there when I checked."

Dara nodded as if drawing a conclusion from the detective's response. "What happened next?"

"As I was leaving the hospital, I got another call informing me that a body had been found on the Elm Street Pier. When I got there, I was able to identify the body as Lucky Spencer." He paused to look at the jury. "Lucky was Elizabeth's boyfriend. It seemed he'd been shot in the chest at close range. Forensics speculated the gun was a 9 mm automatic, possibly the same gun that had shot Elizabeth."

"What did you do then?"

Taggert shifted in the witness box then answered. "I got a search warrant for Jason Morgan's room over Jake's Bar."

"Why did you suspect Jason Morgan?"

Taggert looked over to Jason and gave him a cold stare. "Jason Morgan is a known hit man for the mob. He kills people for a living."

"Objection, your honour," Alexis said as she rose from her chair. "My client has never been convicted of any crime, mob related or not. Detective Taggert is trying to influence the jury about my client."

"I agree," the judge replied. "Your objection is sustained. The jury is instructed to disregard the detective's comments and Detective Taggert, if you make another unfounded remark, you will be charged with contempt. Is that understood?"

Taggert nodded silently cursing Morgan and Corinthos. "Yes, your honour."

Dara looked to the jury. She knew even though the judge order them to ignore Taggert's comments, they really wouldn't be able too. "Did you find anything at the defendant's room?"

He nodded. "Yes. We found a 9 mm automatic in one of Morgan's dresser drawers."

Dara went back to her table to retrieve the said gun. "Is this the gun you found in Jason Morgan's room?" When Taggert said yes, she addressed the judge. "Your honour, I would like to admit this gun into evidence, prosecution's exhibit A," she said handing the gun the Judge Torrie and turning back to Taggert. "Was this the gun that shot Elizabeth Webber and killed Lucky Spencer?"

"Yes. The gun had been wiped clean, but forensics was able to determine that it had been fired that day and then ballistics was able to match the gun to the bullets taken from both victims. Later we discovered that Lucky Spencer had purchased the gun illegally a week before."

"Why did he do that?"

"From witness statements, he was going to go after Morgan because he believed Morgan was trying to take Elizabeth found him."

"Did he have a reason to believe that?" Dara asked looking at the jury.

"I don't know for sure. I do know Morgan and Elizabeth had a previous relationship when Lucky was kidnapped the year before. When Lucky came back, he and Elizabeth got back together, but Morgan wasn't in the city at that time. He only came back about a month before the shootings. I can only speculate on what could have occurred during that month, but I don't think it's a coincidence that Morgan returns and little after a month later Lucky Spencer is dead."

Dara could see some of the jury looking at Jason with questions in their eyes. Maybe they thought it was too much of a coincidence, too. "If Lucky bought the gun, how did it end up in the defendant's room?"

"Witness statement's say that Morgan and Spencer struggled for the gun and Morgan won. He must have taken it with him after he shot the boy."

Dara was confused, "If the gun didn't belong to Mr. Morgan, why did he keep it?"

Taggert shrugged, "I don't know what Morgan's brain-damaged mind was thinking. He obviously didn't think he would get caught."

Before Alexis could say anything, the judge intervened, "Detective, you are treading on very thin ice. I will not warn you again. Counsellor," she said looking over at the DA, "let's move on."

Dara nodded deciding they had gotten enough from Taggert. "What did you do after you found the gun?"

"I arrested Jason Morgan," he said calmly.

Dara looked at the jury then back at the witness box. "Thank you, Detective. I have no more questions at this time."

Alexis stood and waited for Dara to sit down before walking towards the witness box. "Detective, when you arrested my client, did you know the gun you found was the murder weapon?

Taggert shifted uncomfortably. "No, but I was pretty confidant it was."

"Okay," she said letting the comment go. "Besides the gun, did you have any evidence placing my client at the pier? Was there a witness?"

"No, but when Morgan wasn't at the hospital, I knew he would go after Spencer."

"Oh, why?"

He looked over at Jason again. "He has a thing for Miss Webber. He would go after the person that hurt her."

"But you didn't know that Lucky shot Elizabeth, did you?"

"No..."

Alexis didn't let him continue, "In fact, you believed my client shot Elizabeth. You initially arrested him for her attempted murder."

"That's true, but -"

She stopped him again, "When did you learn the real story?"

"When I was able to question Miss Webber."

She brought her hand to her chin, pretending to think for a minute. "That was four days after you arrested my client, isn't that right?"

"Yes..."

"That was also around the time you found out that Lucky had purchased the gun. So for days you thought you knew what had happened. You were sure of it, correct?"

"Yes."

"And now you know differently. Tell me, Detective, what's to say you won't change your mind again tomorrow?"

Taggert seethed with anger, "I just follow the evidence as it comes."

Alexis nodded. "You claim my client wasn't at the hospital when you checked. Other than the surgical waiting area did you look anywhere else?"

Taggert shook his head. "No, by then I had gotten the other call."

"So how can you say for sure that he wasn't at the hospital?"

Taggert frowned. He didn't have a response to the question.

"What if I told you my client was on the roof the entire time waiting for Elizabeth to come out of surgery?"

Taggert smiled, "I find that hard to believe without proof."

Alexis smiled back. "Oh, I have proof."

She walked back to her table and pulled three files from her briefcase. She handed one to the DA, one to the judge, and one to Taggert.

"I had a private forensics lab inspect the roof of General Hospital. They found my client's fingerprints on the roof door and handle."

Taggert glanced at the file and said, "That doesn't mean he was there that day. He could have been up there any time."

Alexis nodded in agreement. "True, but if you read a little more, you will see they also found traces of Elizabeth Webber's blood with those fingerprints. Jason had Elizabeth's blood on his hands because he had given her CPR when she was shot."

Loud whispering and mumbling could be heard from the back of the courtroom. The judge had to quiet them down before she allowed the questioning to continue.

Taggert spoke up before Alexis could speak. "This doesn't mean that Morgan was there the whole time. For all you know he could have just gone up there to leave the evidence then left to hunt down Lucky Spencer."

Alexis nodded. "That's true, but it does tell me something about you, Detective. You have a one track mind when it comes to my client. You never even considered that Jason may have been somewhere else in the hospital. It never even entered your mind. When you arrested my client you didn't know what had happened. You didn't even know that the gun you found was the murder weapon. All you knew was that Jason Morgan was somehow involved therefore he must be the murderer."

Taggert shook his head, "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" She asked. "Did you even consider any other suspects besides my client?"

"There were none," he insisted.

"Weren't there? I find that hard to believe when Lucky was a Spencer and everyone in this town knows about the Spencer-Cassadine feud. In fact, Lucky was kidnapped and held against his will for over a year because of it, isn't that true?"

"Yes..."

"And last year, both he and Elizabeth were involved in the events that led to the death of Helena Cassadine, the person that kidnapped Lucky."

"Yes."

"So why, if both Elizabeth and Lucky had enemies, did you immediately jump to my client as the murderer?"

Taggert shifted again. "He was there at the park and the gun was found in his room."

Alexis jumped at that comment. "A gun that had no fingerprints. You never thought that maybe, just possibly, that the gun had been planted that someone was trying to frame my client."

"No."

"Oh, come now, Detective. You would like this jury to believe that Jason Morgan is a cold blooded killer, a professional hit man working for the mob. If that's true, then why would a professional keep a murder weapon that didn't belong to him instead of getting rid of it."

"I don't know. Maybe he wanted to keep it as a souvenir," he suggested grasping at straws.

Alexis gave him a look that said you could do better than that. "You refuse to admit that it is possible someone could be framing my client because then you would have no case against him. You don't care if Jason is guilty or not. You just want him to be convicted and go to jail. You'd rather let the real killer go if it meant Jason went to jail, isn't that true?"

"Objection..." Dara was on her feet.

"I withdraw the question," Alexis interrupted before Dara could begin her objection. "I have no more questions," she said and walked back to her chair beside Jason.

Dara remained standing. "Redirect, your honour?" At the judge's nod she looked at Taggert.

"Detective Taggert, have you let your personal feeling influence your handling of this case?"

"No, I have not," he said confidently. "I followed the evidence and it led me to Jason Morgan."

She nodded accepting his answer. "When you arrested the defendant, was he surprised to learn of Lucky Spencer's death?"

"No, he didn't appear to be." he said knowing that Alexis couldn't object to his answer.

"Did he profess his innocence at any time during your questioning?"

Taggert leaned into the microphone to make sure he was heard. "No, he did not."

Dara nodded liking his answer. "Thank you," she said walking back to the prosecution table.

"Detective, you may leave the witness stand," the judge said. "Counsellor, call your next witness."

5


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Would you please stop pacing. You're making me dizzy."

Elizabeth stopped and looked at the man whose testimony could send Jason to prison. There was nothing suspicious about him. He looked just like the average everyday man. A little over weight, slightly balding, he didn't look like someone being paid to lie on the witness stand. Although, she thought, what did someone willing to perjure themselves for money look like? Did she really think he would be wearing a sign saying 'I lie for money'? If it was that easy, they wouldn't be in this mess.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just nervous about the trial. I've never been a witness in a murder case before."

Tom glanced over to the officer standing by the door before replying. "Yeah, well pacing isn't going to solve anything."

"I know," she admitted, "but when I'm nervous, I have to do something. Usually I paint, but I very well can't do that here." She smiled indicating the empty room but for them and the officer. "Moving around helps me."

She started then stopped and eyed him again. Upon second look she did see something suspicious about him. "Aren't you nervous?"

"No," he replied without hesitation.

She raised her eyebrows. "Not even a little?" That didn't seem right. She was petrified, and she knew the all the people in the courtroom. She knew Alexis would treat her well on the witness stand. She knew Sonny would not be plotting her death to protect his employee. How can this man be so calm about his testimony?

"No," he responded again without looking at her.

She moved to sit beside him on the bench. She wanted to see just how far she could go with this. "I wish I had your confidence. Alexis Davis worries me. She's probably the best attorney in the state, maybe even the country. I just know she'll be able to twist everything I say and make it sound like the opposite."

Tom shrugged and glanced at the officer again before speaking. "Alexis Davis doesn't scare me. The only way she could make you change your story is if you weren't 100 sure of what you know. I know what I saw, and Miss Davis isn't going to make me change my mind."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say to that. She quickly glanced at the officer and then back to Tom. Was he telling the truth or was he just playing up the officer? Or maybe he was playing up to her. Maybe he knew about her connection to Jason and was just playing a game with her. Whatever he was doing, she knew she couldn't back down. She needed to push a little more to see just how far he would go.

"What about Sonny Corinthos?" She asked as timidly as she could.

He didn't even flinch. "What about him?"

She couldn't hide the shock she felt at his attitude. "You're not afraid he might try to kill you before you can testify?"

Tom looked straight into her eyes. "Corinthos can't touch me," he said with such conviction she believed him.

Before Elizabeth could reply, Tom stood and walked to the officer. The two spoke softly by the door preventing her from hearing anything that was being said. At one point they both turned and looked at her causing a chill to run down her back. The officer then nodded and Tom left the room with the officer trailing behind.

Elizabeth sat motionless unsure of what had just happened. Was Tom Madigan sure Sonny wouldn't be able to touch him because of police protection or was there something or someone else involved? She shook her head. Either way, she couldn't believe Madigan was so confidant. Sonny was very powerful. He was able to take out Joseph Sorel even with all of Sorel's security. How could Madigan not worry about Sonny doing the same to him?

No, she thought, Sonny didn't kill Sorel. Jason did. Was that what this was all about? Was this someone's way to remove Jason and leave Sonny vulnerable to attack? If so, how could they know? How could they anticipate that Lucky would go after Jason that day? Were they following Lucky? Were they following her and Jason? How long had it been going on? Did they know that Jason had stayed in her studio looking for the traitor? Did this go all the way back to that? Was it possible that Sorel wasn't the person that bombed the warehouse?

She looked back to the closed door. Was the officer involved? Was he working for the person trying to take down Sonny? Were they plotting to get rid of her? Was this all in her head? Was she seeing things that weren't there? God, she didn't know. Maybe she was. She was beginning to think she wasn't cut out for all this mafia business. She wished she could talk to Jason. He would tell her if she was being paranoid or not. He would also tell her to not get involved and let Sonny deal with Madigan. She knew Jason wanted to protect her from his world, but he was in jail because of her not his business. There was no way she was going to sit back and do nothing to help him. She could go to Sonny, but she knew he wouldn't talk to her about business. No she would just continue with what she was doing. Madigan was the key. She was sure of it.

Carly sat quietly beside her husband as the DA's next witness took the stand, but she wasn't interested in the testimony. Nothing the forensics specialist had to say would convince her that Jason was guilty of what he was charged with. The jury, on the other hand, was a different story. They were riveted to the man's every word. Carly hated them. She had never seen these people before, didn't even know their names, but she hated them. These people would soon be deciding the fate of her best friend and they had, yet, to look at him. Maybe if they did, they knew they would see that he was human and not the monster the DA would like them to believe.

A movement in front of her took her attention away from the jury. Alexis had leaned over the speak to Jason. In the past month, Carly had treated Alexis terribly. She was finally willing to admit that but only to herself. She had given Alexis such a hard time over every little aspect of the case. She was sure Alexis would be given sainthood for all the patience and restraint she'd shown against Carly's attacks. Her only excuse was that it was Jason, her best friend, the man who saved her from herself, the man who had accepted her for who she was stupid mistakes and all. Jason had protected her and her son when she needed it the most.

Carly didn't even want to think about what her life would have been like without Jason. She probably would have lost custody of Michael and run out of town by the Quartermaines. Even worse, she would have ended up in jail for shooting Tony Jones. Instead, she had the family she'd always wanted; a loving mother, a rich husband that she loved and who loved her, and a wonderful son. Carly unconsciously rested her hand on her stomach. Soon there would be another addition to her family. She couldn't wait to tell the news. Michael, she knew, will be trilled, and Sonny - Sonny will be over-protective and second guess everything she ate until the baby was born. She couldn't wait. Everything in her life was perfect, except for one thing. The man responsible for everything she had was fighting for his life.

Carly felt helpless, and she didn't like that feeling. The only thing stopping her from taking her husband's gun and attempting a prison break was Sonny's confident demeanour. He insisted Jason would not be convicted and even though Carly was sure he was only saying that to calm her down, it was working. Rather than obsess about losing Jason, she tried to concentrate on their lives after the trial. More importantly, she tried to come to terms with Elizabeth Webber's place in Jason's life.

God, Elizabeth Webber. What could Jason possibly see in that whining little girl? Jason needed a strong independent woman not some weak cry baby who ran when the chips were down. Carly didn't care what Sonny said about Elizabeth taking a bullet for Jason. She knew the painter wouldn't be able to handle Jason's life. At the first hint of danger, Elizabeth would run. She just wished she could convince Jason of that. If she could do that, then there was a lot of swamp land in Florida she'd like to sell. No, she was never going to be able to get Jason to see Elizabeth for who she really was.

Carly was faced with the same problem she had over a month ago; either accept Elizabeth as a part of Jason's life or lose his friendship. The latter she was unprepared to do. Elizabeth Webber was not going to take her best friend away from her. That she was sure of. What she wasn't sure of was how to accomplish the former. How could she accept a person she hated with a passion into her life? She'd done it before, she mused. She hated Sonny when she first met him and now he was the love of her life. She hated her mother when she first arrived and now they were closer than mothers that raised their daughters. In fact, Bobbie was her closest female friend.

God, she wanted to barf just thinking about being friends with Elizabeth Webber. She could just imagine the heart warming talks at Kelly's while drinking hot chocolate and fixing each other's hair. Carly didn't think she could take all the sugary sweetness that constantly came out of the other woman's mouth. It was enough to make even the healthiest person sick not to mention a pregnant woman.

But she was going to stomach it, pregnant or not. She would do anything to make Jason happy, and if that meant being nice to a girl she detested, well then so be it. If Elizabeth made Jason happy then Carly was happy. She could only pray that Jason's infatuation ends quickly, so she won't have to spend too much time pretending to be nice.

Alexis stood ready to cross examine the forensics specialist the DA had just finished questioning.

"Mr. Lee, you've testified that the gun found in my client's room had recently been fired."

The young Asian man nodded before giving a verbal yes to Alexis' indirect question.

"Also, that the bullet from this gun matched the bullets recovered from Miss Webber and Mr. Spencer." Alexis paused again as the witness agreed to her statement. She glanced at the jury before asking, "Were you able to find any gun powder residue on my client?"

Kevin Lee shifted comfortably in the witness stand. "No, but ..."

"Not on his hands, or on his jacket or jeans?"

"No, it's ..."

"Wouldn't it be difficult for my client to have fired the gun you retrieved from his room and not have accumulated powder residue on his person?" Alexis attacked not wanting to give the man a chance to catch his thoughts.

The witness shook his head, "Not if he was wearing gloves."

Alexis jumped at his answer. "Did you find gloves in my client's room during your search?"

Lee shook his head again. "No, we concluded the suspect must have thrown them away."

"I see," she said quietly. The defence attorney brought her hand up to her chin in a calm and cool manner as if she was pondering some universal paradox. After a few moments, she asked the question she hoped the jury were wondering. "If Mr. Morgan, threw away the gloves he used while shooting Lucky Spencer, why do you think he kept the gun?"

"Uh, I'm..." Lee stammered, "I'm not sure." He looked to the prosecutor's table for guidance but received none.

Alexis nodded sure she was getting the jury thinking. "That's okay. We'll come back to that question. When you examined Lucky Spencer, his arms and side were covered with bruises, isn't that correct?"

"Yes."

"You were able to determine that those bruises were only a few hours old."

"Yes."

"You concluded that Lucky Spencer struggled with his killer before getting shot."

"Yes."

Alexis nodded and leaned against the jury railing. "Did you find any DNA evidence on the body that matched my clients?"

"No, I did not."

The attorney looked at each member of the jury to make sure they were understanding what the witness was telling them. "Did you find any bruises similar to Lucky Spencer's on my client?"

Lee shook his head. "No."

Alexis straightened and stared directly at the witness. "Is it possible for the victim to sustain those bruises and not injure his assailant in anyway?"

The forensic specialist nodded. "Yes, if the attacker were wearing a jacket."

Alexis looked back to Jason before continuing her questions. "When my client was arrested, he was wearing a leather jacket."

Lee nodded again, "Yes, he was."

"Did you examine the jacket?"

"Yes," he replied hesitantly.

Alexis sighed at having to pull the information from the prosecutor's witness. "What did you find?"

Lee paused to take a drink of water before answering the question. "I found blood matching Elizabeth Webber on the cuffs and arms."

Alexis raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "Was that it? No trace of Lucky Spencer's blood, no hair follicles that might have landed on the jacket during the struggle?"

"No, I wasn't able to find any evidence of the victim on the jacket," he admitted.

Alexis walked up to the witness box. "If my client fought with Lucky Spencer, shouldn't you have been able to find something on his jacket?"

Lee squirmed under the defence attorney's scrutiny. "Yes, there should have been..."

"Were you able to find any of Elizabeth Webber's blood on Lucky Spencer's hands or clothes?" Alexis continued without letting the witness finish his thought.

Lee looked slightly flustered by the change in question but was able to reply. "No."

"If Lucky fought with Jason, wouldn't some of Elizabeth's blood rub off onto Lucky?"

"Yes, it should have."

Alexis took a step back and faced the jury once more. "Okay, Mr. Lee, let me see I understand this. You are trying to tell this jury that my client fought with the victim then shot him in the chest, yet you have no evidence to support your conclusion. My client did not have any bruises consistent with being in a fight. There was no DNA of any kind found on Mr. Morgan's jacket that matches Lucky Spencer, and the DNA that was there was not transferred to the victim during the struggle. And you were unable to find any gun powder residue of my clients hands or clothes." She paused in her listings to catch her breath. "Have I left anything out?"

"I ..." Lee tried to answer but Alexis continued.

"Besides where the gun was found, do you have any physical evidence connecting my client to the murder of Lucky Spencer?"

Lee took a moment to collect his thoughts. "No, I don't."

"Thank you," she said trying to keep herself from smiling. "Your honour, I'm finished with this witness." Alexis returned to her seat without looking at the prosecutor's table. She could only imagine what the DA must look like as her specialist stepped down from the witness box.

Dara sat wondering if she had made the biggest mistake of her life. Alexis was killing her, but she knew that was going to happen. From the beginning she knew they didn't have any real strong evidence against Jason. She just wished at this moment it wasn't that weak. The physical evidence hurt her case, but that wasn't all she had. Dara had a strong witness, and she was sure the jury would believe Tom Madigan over forensic evidence any day. She wasn't down for the count yet.

"Councillor? Councillor?"

Dara stood to answer the judge. "I'm sorry, your honour."

"Is the prosecution ready to call their next witness?"

Dara nodded. "Yes, your honour. I would like to call Elizabeth Webber to the stand."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Elizabeth entered the courtroom through the side entrance and walked nervously towards the witness box. It was only until she was sworn in and could take her seat that she was able to look over to the defence table. The person staring back at her made her heart stop. She had never seen Jason in a suit before. It wasn't right. He looked great. The suit fit him like a glove, but it wasn't right. Jason was a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, not Armani suits. Elizabeth could just imagine how uncomfortable he was. She wished she could walk up to him and undo the silk tie around his neck and unbutton his shirt. She wished they could be anywhere but here, in this courtroom.

Dara stood and approached her. "Miss Webber, can you tell this court what happened in the park the day you were shot?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and risked another glance at the man on trial. "I was walking through the park and I came upon Lucky and Jason."

"Lucky Spencer, the deceased and Jason Morgan the defendant?" Dara questioned wanting to make sure the jury knew just who Elizabeth was referring to.

Elizabeth nodded and gave the jury a nervous look. "Uh, yes. Lucky was pointing a gun at Jason. He was crazy. He blamed Jason for our problems and was going to kill him. I tried to get him to put the gun down, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Was that when he shot you?" Dara interjected.

"No, no, Lucky shot at Jason and I jumped in front of him."

Dara looked over to the jury before asking, "Why would you do that?"

Elizabeth glanced at Jason. "I couldn't let Lucky hurt Jason."

Dara followed Elizabeth's gaze to the defence table. "Was Lucky right, then? Was Mr. Morgan the cause of your problems?"

Elizabeth shook her head vigorously. "No, Jason wasn't the cause of our problems. We were having problems before Jason even came back to town."

"Just what kind of problems were you having?"

"After Lucky came back from his kidnapping, he became controlling. He wanted us to do everything together. He pushed me to become the next Face of Deception model so that we would be working together. He got me to move out of my studio so we could be closer. He would get upset when I spoke to male friends. He thought I was having an affair with every man I saw."

"If you weren't happy, why didn't you break up with him?"

Elizabeth looked to the jury hoping they would understand how she had felt. "When I thought Lucky was dead, I thought my life was over. I had loved him so much. When he returned, it was a miracle. The idea of leaving Lucky never entered my mind. I just kept thinking he would go back to the man I once knew."

"But he didn't," Dara stated matter-of-factly.

"No, he didn't."

"Was Lucky jealous of Jason Morgan?" Dara asked pointing to the defendant.

"I told you. Lucky didn't like me talking to any man."

"But Jason Morgan isn't just any man, is he? You have a history."

"We're friends," Elizabeth insisted.

"Friends? Nothing more. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said confidently even though she knew where the DA was going.

Dara waved her hand back and forth between Elizabeth and Jason. "Two years ago, you weren't romantically involved with each other?"

"No, we weren't."

Dara dropped her hand to her side a little dumbfounded by Elizabeth's answer. She walked back to her desk to pick up a folder lying there. She scanned the information written there to be sure the facts before asking, "You and Mr. Morgan didn't live together during December 1999?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, we did, but nothing was going on between us."

Dara looked up from her folder. "Didn't Nikolas Cassidine announce at the GH Christmas party that the two of you were sleeping together?"

"Yes, he did, but he was wrong."

"Did either of you deny his claim?"

"No."

"Why not if it wasn't true?"

"It wasn't anyone else's business. It was between Jason and me, no one else."

"Where did Mr. Cassidine get this idea from in the first place if it wasn't true?"

Elizabeth paused and shifted in her chair. "I told him Jason and I were sleeping together."

Dara crossed her arms in front of her, a confused look on her face. "Miss Webber, which is it? Were you romantically involved with Jason Morgan or not?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath to keep her nerves under control. "Nikolas had barged into my studio one night when Jason was there and started making accusations about Jason taking advantage of me. He picked a fight with Jason and insulted me. I was so angry at him that I told him what he wanted to hear. I told him that Jason and I were about to have sex when he burst in and that Jason was my boyfriend before I pushed him out of my studio."

"So, you lied to your friend about the defendant?"

"Yes."

"Do you make a habit of lying about your relationship with Mr. Morgan?"

"Objection," Alexis was on her feet before Dara could finish her question.

"Overruled," the judge wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"No, I don't," Elizabeth insisted.

"If you were able to lie about the defendant before, how do we know you're not lying about your relationship now?"

"I'm not," Elizabeth replied weakly.

"You didn't spend the night with Mr. Morgan the night Joseph Sorel was murdered?"

"What! No, I didn't."

"Really?" Dara asked raising her eyebrows. "You didn't go to the PCPD and provide the defendant with an alibi claiming he was with you the entire night?"

"Yes, I did, but..."

Dara wouldn't let her finish, "Were you lying?"

Elizabeth was getting flustered. She hadn't expected the DA to bring up Joseph Sorel. "I wasn't lying. Jason was with me that night. We just didn't spend the night together the way you meant. We didn't have sex."

Dara could see she was getting to the witness. "What were you doing all night then?"

Elizabeth ran her hand through her hair. "We went for a ride on his bike."

"All night long?" The DA knew there had to be more to it than that. "You expect this court to believe you and Mr. Morgan spent the entire night riding his motorcycle? Nothing more?"

"Yes."

"Come now, Miss Webber," Dara pushed. "You must have stopped at some point that night."

Elizabeth looked over to the defence table not sure what to say. Jason gave a little nod telling her it was okay to be honest. "We talked."

"Oh, about what?"

"Lucky," she admitted. "He and I had had an argument the day before."

Dara could see she was on to something. "What did you argue about?"

Elizabeth looked over to Jason again. "Jason. I already told you Lucky didn't like my friendship with him."

"So, you have an argument with Mr. Spencer about the defendant and then you spend the next night with him. Maybe Mr. Spencer was right to worry."

"No, it wasn't like that," the witness insisted. "I went with Jason that night to tell him we couldn't be friends anymore. I was doing what Lucky wanted me to do."

"You ended your friendship with Mr. Morgan that night?" Dara asked. "Was he angry about your decision?"

"He didn't like it," Elizabeth confided. "But he respected it."

"And it took you all night to end this friendship?"

Elizabeth hated the way the DA said the word 'friendship' like it was something she should be ashamed of. "Yes, I already said we spent most of the night riding his bike."

"Did Mr. Spencer know where you were that night?"

"No, he didn't," Elizabeth admitted.

"Where did he think you were?" Dara asked.

"At my studio working on a project for school."

"So, you lied about seeing the defendant even though you were doing what Mr. Spencer wanted?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said nodding her head.

Dara smiled and gave a little chuckle. "Miss Webber, you are making it very hard for me and the jury to believe you when you've now admitted for the second time to lying about your relationship with Jason Morgan. Is anything you've said today the truth?"

"Objection, your honour." Alexis said rising to her feet. "The DA is badgering her own witness."

"Sustained."

Dara took a few moments to gather herself before continuing. "Miss Webber, when you found the two men in the park, did the defendant say anything?"

Elizabeth didn't know how much more she could take. When she'd been first subpoenaed, she had wanted to refuse taking the stand. Alexis convinced her it was not in Jason's best interest for her to do that. It looked like she was trying to hide something, Alexis told her. Elizabeth hadn't wanted to be the reason Jason was found guilty so she agreed to take the stand figuring she could handle the DA's questions. Now she wondered if that had been the wrong decision. She was hurting Jason's case more than she was helping it.

"Jason wanted me to leave. He didn't want me to get hurt."

"What was his demeanour?"

"Uh, he was calm," she said looking over to Jason once again. "He refused to argue with Lucky. He wasn't worried about himself. He wanted me to leave before anything happened. He told me he had the situation under control."

The DA looked to Jason as well. "Lucky Spencer was pointing a gun at him and Mr. Morgan said he had everything under control?"

Elizabeth nodded not sure what Dara was getting at. "Yes."

"What did you think he meant by that?"

"Objection, speculation."

"Overruled."

"I don't know what he meant by that. I didn't think about it. I was just trying to talk Lucky into giving me the gun."

"But he didn't?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, he didn't."

"What was the last thing you remember?"

Elizabeth tried to think. "Jason leaning over me telling me to stay awake. That's all I remember."

"Where was Lucky?"

"I don't know."

"Did Lucky fire a second time?"

"I don't know."

"Did Mr. Morgan go after Lucky?"

"I don't know. I told you I don't remember."

Alexis stood. "You honour," she looked to the judge for some intervention.

The judge nodded in agreement. "Councillor, the witness can't answer your questions when she was unconscious. Move on to something else."

"Yes, your honour," Dara said. She turned her concentration back to the witness. "Miss Webber, when you woke up were you surprised to learn Mr. Spencer was dead?"

Elizabeth tried to stretch out her body without getting up. She didn't know how long she'd been in the witness stand but it felt like hours. "I was sad that Lucky was dead."

Dara shook her head. "That's not what I asked you. Were you surprised?"

"No," she admitted.

"You thought Mr. Morgan had killed your boyfriend in self defence, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"But he didn't," the DA said. "Mr. Morgan killed Lucky Spencer in cold blood hours after he shot you. Mr. Morgan hunted the deceased down as punishment for what he did to you."

"No," Elizabeth yelled just as Alexis jumped up in objection.

"Councillor, may I remind you, you are questioning a witness not making your closing arguments. The jury is ordered to disregard the last statements."

"Yes, your honour," Dara said innocently as if she didn't know what she had just done. "Elizabeth, have you ever seen the defendant become violent because of you?"

Elizabeth was still thinking about the DA's former comments. "Jason didn't kill Lucky. He wou..."

Dara interrupted her before she could say anything else. "Miss Webber, that's not what I asked you. Have you ever seen Jason Morgan become violent because of you?"

Elizabeth wanted to argue but knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. "He got into a fight with Nikolas at the GH Christmas party, but he didn't start it. Nikolas started that fight."

Dara nodded. "This is the same Christmas party where Mr. Cassidine declared you and Mr. Morgan were lovers?"

"Yes, Jason was just defending himself."

"Was there any other times?" Dara asked.

Elizabeth took a few moments to think about the question. She remembered the incident with Sorel but didn't want the jury to know about it. "We first met when a man in a bar I was in wouldn't leave me alone. He grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Jason came and got him off of me."

"How romantic," the DA said.

"Your honour."

Before the judge could say anything Dara had apologized. She looked back to the witness sure there was more. "Anything else?"

Elizabeth hesitated. Did the DA already know about the other altercation? Is that why she was pushing? "No, those were the only times."

"Really?" Dara asked. She grabbed another folder from her table. "The defendant didn't attack Joseph Sorel in January 2000 after he approached you on the docks?"

Elizabeth tried to keep her face void of emotion. How did she know about that? "Sorel had threatened me and Jason was just trying to protect me."

Dara put down her folder. "He seems to do that a lot."

"Jason is my friend," Elizabeth said. "He protects his friends."

"Would he kill for them?"

"Objection."

"Withdrawn," Dara said before the judge could say anything. "I'm done with this witness."

Alexis waited until the DA had retaken her seat before rising and approaching Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, were you having an affair with Jason?"

"No, I wasn't," she stated firmly. "Jason just listened to me when I needed someone to talk to about Lucky. It was what he did when I thought Lucky was dead. I was so unhappy and Jason saw that. He could see I wasn't being true to myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I was pretending to be happy when I wasn't. When Jason came back, he could see right through me. He knew I was faking being happy. He wanted me to tell Lucky what I was feeling. He wanted me to stand up for myself."

"Did you?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, it took me a while, but in the end I realized I couldn't do it anymore. I was going to end things with Lucky but before I could he went after Jason."

"Were you breaking up with Lucky because of Jason?"

"No,..., yes. I wasn't leaving Lucky for Jason, but I wouldn't have left him without Jason." Elizabeth knew she didn't say that correctly. "What I mean is, it would have taken me a lot longer to realize that I wasn't happy. Lucky and I would probably have gotten married before I gathered the courage to stand up for myself."

Alexis nodded her understanding hoping the jury also saw the internal struggle that Elizabeth had been going through. "You stated that you thought Jason didn't kill Lucky. Why are you so sure?"

Elizabeth looked over at Jason and smiled. "I know Jason. He wouldn't do that. Not to me."

Alexis stopped her. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since Jason returned, he's had to listen to me talk about Lucky. He knew how hard everything was for me. He was also there when I was mourning Lucky when I thought he was dead. I almost didn't survive. There is no way Jason would put me in that place again. Even though we were having problems, I still loved Lucky. He was my first love. I wanted him to get help.

"I admit Jason probably would have beaten Lucky senseless for hurting me, but he would never have killed him. Not only was Lucky important to me, he was Jason's sister, Emily's best friend. Jason wouldn't have been able to face his sister if he had killed Lucky. It's that simple. That's not who Jason is," she stated confidently.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Alexis said. She didn't know if it was enough to convince the jury, but it was exactly what she was hoping for. Elizabeth was able to give the jury another side of Jason the DA did not want them to see. The human side, the family side. Jason wasn't just some killing machine. He was a friend and brother.

After looking towards the DA for any redirect questions, the judge addressed Elizabeth. "The witness is excused. You may step down."


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Elizabeth stepped out of the witness box and walked out the room without a backward glance. She didn't want the jury to see just how much the DA had gotten to her, and she was afraid to look at Jason. She didn't want to look into his eyes and see the disappointment she knew would be there. She was supposed help Jason, convince the jury that Jason did not kill Lucky. Instead she showed them that she was a liar. What jury was going to believe anything she said? Alexis had been counting on her instead she had let both Alexis and Jason down.

Elizabeth found the nearest empty bench and buried her head in her hands. This couldn't be happening, she thought. Any minute now she would wake up and this nightmare would be over. It had too, didn't it? Jason really couldn't be convicted for killing Lucky. Where was the justice? A small giggle rose from her stomach that she couldn't suppress. A hit man was going to be convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Maybe this was what they meant by a blind justice. Jason had killed many people - she didn't even know how many - but the one murder the DA was going to win was one he didn't do. And she was the reason it was going to happen.

The small giggle soon became a quiet laugh. She thought back to Jason's worry about her being hurt because of him, how his enemies would use her to get to him. He'd been right. They did use her. They didn't bomb her studio or kidnap her and use her for leverage. They just left her alone and let her bring Jason down all on her own. Maybe she should write a book - 'How to Rid Yourself of an Enemy Without Lifting a Finger' - a must have Christmas present for every powerful mob Don and two-bit wannabe. You don't need explosives or guns or drugs; you just need a stupid little girl who doesn't know what she wants.

Elizabeth was laughing hysterically now. People walking past her were openly staring but she didn't care. She couldn't control herself. It was either laugh or cry, and crying wasn't an option right now. She could cry later, when she was alone, where no one could see her. She couldn't break down right now. Not in the middle of the courthouse, where reporters were around every corner. Yes, laughter was better than crying. It was the best medicine, right? Then, why wasn't it working?

Carly couldn't believe what she was seeing. When she'd decided to check on Elizabeth, this wasn't what she'd expected. Depressed Elizabeth, teary eyed Elizabeth, even denial Elizabeth, but hysterical bordering on crazy Elizabeth was something else entirely. She approached the other woman with care not wanting to scare her. Elizabeth didn't seem to notice that she was standing in front of her. After calling her name didn't get her attention, Carly grabbed Elizabeth's shoulders and gave them a little shake. Still, the younger woman wouldn't stop. Carly tightened her grip and shook her harder.

"Elizabeth," she yelled, "stop laughing."

Elizabeth stopped instantly and looked at the older woman seeing her for the first time. "You were right, Carly. I'm poison for Jason," she said quietly as tears began to run down her face.

Without thinking Carly wrapped her arms around Elizabeth and let her cry on her shoulder. It was a surreal moment. Carly was comforting a woman she normally would be tormenting. Maybe it was the pregnancy. Her body was betraying her. Yes, she'd decided to be nicer to the little twit for Jason's sake, but she didn't think it would mean consoling her. God, the things she did for her friends. Jason better appreciate it.

Elizabeth pulled away wiping the tears from her eyes shock covering her face. What was she doing? She was crying on Carly's shoulder, and Carly was letting her. The world must have turned upside down when she wasn't looking. Maybe she'd entered an alternative reality without noticing.

"What are you doing here, Carly?"

Carly could see the other woman's back straightening preparing for an attack. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah right," Elizabeth scoffed. "You hate me. You wouldn't even spit on me if I were on fire. Why should I believe you care if I'm okay?"

Carly sighed seeing the younger woman wasn't going to make this easy. "Look, I was in the court room. I saw that bitch of a DA make mince meat of you." She shrugged, "I was worried about you."

Elizabeth was starting to get angry. "I'm not in the mood right now for your stupid games. Just throw your insults at me and leave me alone."

Carly frowned. "Elizabeth, I'm not here to insult you."

Elizabeth stood needing distance between her and Jason's best friend. "Why not? Today proved that everything you've ever said about me was true. I am bad for Jason. I would think you would be on cloud nine, jumping for joy."

"No," the blond said shaking her head, "I was wrong. You're not bad for Jason. You make Jason happy." Carly could see the shock she felt reflecting in the other woman's eyes. Damn this pregnancy. What else is it going to make her do?

"God, you really do hate me," Elizabeth whispered the tears she'd just got under control threatened to fall again. "I know I made a lot of mistakes when it came to Lucky and Jason, and I will always feel guilty over Lucky's death, but I don't deserve this. You have no right. I've never done anything to you. You and Jason were already broken up when we became friends. I didn't come between you. I mean, you love Sonny now anyway. Why are you being so mean to me?"

Carly felt a gnawing in her stomach. She'd felt it during Elizabeth's testimony as well, but she wasn't sure what was causing it. It wasn't a pregnancy thing, she was sure, so what was it? She looked at the teary-eyed woman and the feeling intensified. It couldn't be guilt, could it? God, look what she had become. A person with a conscience. Maybe hell was freezing over. She would have laughed but she didn't want to upset the other woman more than she already was.

"Elizabeth," she said not sure where to begin. It wasn't every day she apologized to someone. Hopefully, it wasn't the beginning of a trend. "I know I haven't been the nicest person to you in the past and for that I apologize." Carly could see Elizabeth didn't believe her. "Really, I'm sorry for everything I've done to you - the insults, the photo shoot, everything.

"You're right. You didn't come between me and Jason. I ruined that relationship all on my own. I didn't need any help. I blamed you because I couldn't blame myself. I didn't want to admit how stupid I was. All I could see was that Jason was moving on with his life and I wasn't a part of it, not the way I had always dreamed about." She smiled at the old memory. "We were supposed to be the happy family - me, Jason and Michael. I couldn't get that dream out of my head. Even though I knew deep down it was never going to happen, I kept fighting for it. You were the person getting in the way of that dream.

"After I married Sonny, I finally let the dream go, because I had found what I was really looking for with him. But I guess, I didn't let go of my hate for you. And it got worse when all I could see was Jason hurting because you. Jason deserves to be happy and you weren't giving him that. I wouldn't let myself see that you were hurting too. I didn't know what was going on with Lucky. If I had known ... No," she said shaking her head, "that's not true. I still would have been cruel to you, probably even more so. That's who I am. I fight dirty for my friends. Jason was hurting so I wanted you to hurt. I can't change what I've done. All I can say is I'm sorry."

Elizabeth was speechless. She didn't know if she could forgive this person for all the hurt she had put her through. Was she a strong enough person to do that? She wasn't sure, but if Carly had the strength to apologize, maybe she had the strength to accept it. "Thank you, Carly. I know it must have taken a lot for you to say all that. I can't really tell you that I'm okay with the photo shoot - next to the actual rape it was the worst experience of my life - but I think I can let it go. For Jason. I know how much you mean to him, and I know it would hurt him if we continued to hate each other. Jason's been hurt enough because of us, don't you think?"

Carly nodded in agreement. She couldn't believe Elizabeth was going to put everything she had done to her aside. If the situation was turned around, Carly knew she wouldn't have been able to do that. "You're something else, you know that. And I don't mean that in a negative way. I guess I just refused to see it before, but you really are the right woman for Jason."

Elizabeth laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure. Did you see me in that courtroom just now?"

"Jason's not going to hold what the DA did against you and you shouldn't either," Carly told her. "You did your best. Don't let this discourage you and make you change your mind about being with him. He deserves the best and since I'm not available, you're it." She laughed, "Seriously, you fight for Jason and that's all I ever really wanted. Someone who will put Jason first. As long as you make Jason happy, you won't get anymore trouble from me."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, "I can't believe we're having this conversation. It doesn't seem real."

"Yeah well, don't get used to it. We're not going to become friends. There's only so much I'm willing to do for Jason and that isn't one of them," Carly told the younger woman.

Elizabeth nodded. "We don't have to be friends, Carly. We just don't need to be enemies, especially since we're on the same side. We both just want Jason to be happy."

"Good, then we agree," Carly said putting out her hand. "A truce."

Elizabeth took Carly's hand. "A truce," she said as they shook hands.

An awkward silence followed the exchange. Neither woman knew what to say to the other. After several excruciating moments, Elizabeth put them out of their misery by excusing herself under the guise of searching for her grandmother leaving Carly alone in the hall way. The gnawing feeling had disappeared. She smiled and rubbed her stomach.

"There you are," Sonny said coming up behind his wife. "I've been looking every where for you." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and gave her a quick kiss on her neck. "Court's in recess until tomorrow."

Carly turned and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I was talking to Elizabeth."

Sonny moved to look around the area. "There's no blood, so it didn't come to blows," he said jokingly.

Carly smacked him in the stomach. "You'd be proud of me. I apologized for the way I treated her."

Sonny was dumbstruck, "You did?"

"Yes, and for Jason, she let everything go," she admitted. "We've agreed to a truce. I don't think we'll ever be friends but we won't be fighting anymore."

Sonny smiled at his beautiful wife. "I love you, you know that."

Carly smiled in return. "I love you, too."

"Let's go home," he said taking her hand.

Carly nodded and started following her husband down the hall. "When we get there, I have something wonderful to tell you and Michael."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

Elizabeth walked through the courtroom doors as casually as she could. She raised a nervous hand to the blond wig covering her hair making sure it was straight for the hundredth time. She hoped this plan worked. When she'd left this morning, she hadn't been able to recognize herself, so she hoped no one here would be able to either. This was the lat day of testimony for the prosecution and Elizabeth wasn't going to miss it. Tom Madigan would be taking the stand. She wanted to hear exactly what he had to say about the shooting and about Jason.

She took a seat in the back row behind the prosecution. Even if someone looked in her direction, no one would expect her to be sitting there. The room was filled with all the family and friends of the two men involved in this murder trial - Jason and Lucky. During her testimony the day before, she hadn't really looked at the people in attendance. She'd been too afraid to. Plus, she'd already known what she was going to see - Luke and Laura would be disappointed she chose to defend Jason, Nikolas would be seething with control anger, the Quartermaines would be leery with suspicion of her connection to Jason, Emily would be sad, Sonny would be worried and Carly would be full of hatred.

The latter made her stop. No, she was wrong about Carly. Elizabeth wasn't sure what she would have seen in Carly's eyes yesterday but she was sure it wouldn't have been hatred. A day later and she still couldn't quite believe that Carly had apologized to her. They had agreed to a truce for Jason's sake. It made sense. He was the only thing they had in common. He was also the reason they'd hated each other in the first place, but she wouldn't think about it that way right now. They'd agreed on a truce and it made her feel good. Even a little optimistic. If she and Carly could put aside their mutual dislike for each other then it must be a sign that Jason was going to be found not guilty. She knew it in her bones. She just needed the proof.

"All rise, court is now in session ..." the bailiff continued as the judge entered the courtroom and brought in the jury.

"Is the prosecution ready to call it's next witness?"

Dara stood, "Yes, your honour. The prosecution would like the call Thomas Madigan to the stand."

Tom Madigan entered the courtroom from the same doorway Elizabeth had used the day before. He walked confidently across the room to the witness stand. If he was nervous, he didn't let it show. He didn't appear to have any reservations about testifying against one of the most feared men in the city. To Elizabeth, it just didn't seem right.

"Mr. Madigan, can you please tell the court where you were on March 14, 2001 around 5 in the afternoon?"

He nodded at Dara but directed his answer to the jury. "I was on my way home from work and decided to cut through the docks to save time."

"What happened when you got there?"

"I saw two men standing on the docks. One was holding a gun."

Dara retrieved a picture from her table and held it up for the witness to identify. "Was this the man you saw holding the gun?"

"Yes."

Dara showed the picture to the jury then addresses the judge. "Let the record show the witness has identified Lucky Spencer." At the judge's agreement, Dara turned back to her witness. "Is the other man in the courtroom today?"

Madigan nodded and pointed toward the defence table at Jason. "He was the other man I saw that day."

The DA turned to look at who he was pointing to. "Let the record show the witness is pointing to the defendant Jason Morgan."

"Were you able to hear what was being said between the gentlemen?"

Madigan nodded again. "Yes. The younger man, uh, Spencer yelled, 'She's mine. She belongs to me.' Then he started blaming Morgan for what happened."

"Did he say what had happened?"

"No, but Morgan then said, 'You're going to pay for what you did.'"

Dara looked over to Jason once more before asking, "Did Mr. Morgan appear nervous at having a gun pointed at him?"

"No, no," Madigan replied shaking his head, "far from it. He was calm. Spencer was the one who was nervous. His hand was shaking and I think he was crying."

"What happened next?"

The witness ran a hand through his hair giving the DA a dismayed looked. "It was amazing. Everything happened so fast. One minute the kid was holding the gun another he was on the floor and Morgan was standing over him with the gun in his hand. Before Spencer could do anything Morgan pointed the gun and fired."

"So at the moment the defendant pulled the trigger Lucky Spencer was not a threat to him?"

"No, he was sprawled on the ground. It didn't look like he was able to get up. Morgan had done a number on him."

Dara walked over to the evidence table and retrieved the gun she had earlier entered into evidence. "Was this the gun you saw Jason Morgan use to kill Lucky Spencer?" She asked handing the gun to the witness.

Madigan studied the gun for a minute then nodded, "Yes, this is the gun."

"Thank you, Mr. Madigan," the DA said taking the gun from him. "I have no more questions, your honour." She handed the gun to the bailiff then turned to Alexis. "Your witness."

Alexis waited for Dara to take her seat before looking up from the folder she was studying. She closed the file but remained seated to ask her first question. "Mr. Madigan, did you stay and speak to the police about what you saw?"

The witness shifted in his seat. "No, I didn't."

"In fact you didn't come forward for a week, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Alexis stood and began walking toward the witness stand. "Why did it take you a week to speak to the police?"

"I was afraid," he replied looking at the defence table. "I knew who Jason Morgan was. Everybody does. He's Corinthos' enforcer. He kills people. I saw it with my own two eyes. I would have to be crazy to talk to the police."

"So why did you then? The police didn't find you, you went to them."

"I, uh, I," he stuttered having no answer. Finally he said, "I didn't think they would need me."

Alexis shifted her gaze from the witness to the jury and back confused at his response. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Why wouldn't the police have needed you, you were their only witness?"

Madigan shifted again. "The papers were saying Morgan shot the girl too. They said the police were sure that once she woke up, she would be able to identify her as her shooter."

He paused and looked over to the jury. "But that didn't happen. The girl said that Spencer shot her. Morgan was going to walk and I couldn't let that happen. I was afraid he would come after me. So I went to the police before he could."

Alexis opened her mouth to ask her next question but nothing came out. Instead she walked back to her table and reopened the file she'd left on the table. Keeping the file in her hands she turned back to the witness. "How did you know what Miss Webber said in her statement?"

"What?" Madigan hadn't expected Alexis to ask that question.

Looking through the file she said, "You walked into the PCPD approximately an hour after Elizabeth Webber made her statement to Detective Taggert and myself. How could you possibly have known what was said?"

"I, uh, I," he shifted uncomfortably not sure what to say. "I overheard Detective Taggert at the police station."

"You were already at the police station?" Alexis asked. "What were you doing there?"

"I was just checking things out. I wanted to know how the investigation was going. I was talking to one of the police officers when Detective Taggert came in upset and I heard him talking to another detective."

"And right then and there you decided to come forward. Just when things weren't going well for the police, you appeared. What an amazing coincidence! If I didn't know any better, I would swear it was planned."

"Objection!" Dara stood immediately.

"I'm sorry your honour, I withdraw the comment," Alexis said before the judge could respond to Dara's objection.

"Ms. Davis, I don't want to hear any more comments like that from you or you will be charged with contempt."

"Yes, your honour. It won't happen again," she replied innocently and turned her attention back to the witness.

"I told you, I was afraid for my life," Madigan insisted.

Alexis looked at him quizzically, "Why?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "If Morgan got out of jail, he would have come after me."

"But you said neither man knew you were there. You left the scene without talking to the police. No one knew you'd witnessed the shooting. Your life wasn't in danger until you spoke to the police. If you were afraid for your life, why did you come forward?"

"Morgan was going to get off. I couldn't let that happen."

"So you've put your life at risk for the sake of justice?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes, I have," he said insulted by her tone.

"What would you say Mr. Madigan, if I had evidence placing my client across town when you say he shot Lucky Spencer?"

Madigan was visibly shocked for a moment but recovered quickly. "I would say you were lying. I know what I saw."

Alexis raised her eyebrows. She didn't like being called a liar. "Really, then how do you explain my client's fingerprints found on the roof of General Hospital with traces of Elizabeth Webber's blood?"

"I,..., I," he stuttered losing some of his earlier confidence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alexis walked over to the defence table, put down the first folder and picked up another one. "An independent forensics lab was able to find my client's fingerprints on the door knob leading to General Hospital's roof. These fingerprints were made with Elizabeth Webber's blood. They could only have been placed on the door the night of the shooting. The night you say you saw my client kill Lucky Spencer." She paused and handed to file over to the witness. "Can you explain how these fingerprints got on the roof if Jason was on the docks?"

Madigan took his time reading the file. No one had briefed him on this new evidence. "I don't know. Maybe he went up on the roof after he killed the Spencer kid."

Alexis nodded in agreement. "That's possible but when the gun was found it had been wiped clean. How could my client do that then be able to leave traces of Miss Webber's blood on the door knob?" She brought a hand to her chin rubbing it as if she was in deep concentration. "When you were looking at the gun was there any blood on my client's hands?"

"I'm not sure," he said adjusting his tie.

"You're not sure? Didn't you get a good look at the gun?" She asked pointing to the gun on the evidence table. "You were able to identify it as the murder weapon."

"Yes," he replied a little louder than he intended, "I did get a good look at the gun but I didn't look at his hand. I only concentrated on the gun. If his hands were bloody or not I couldn't say."

"I can," Alexis confidently. "If my client had attacked Lucky Spencer the way you claim, then forensics would have been able to find Elizabeth Webber's blood on Lucky's body and they did not."

"Maybe he went to the roof before he killed Lucky Spencer," Madigan argued.

"And still be able to make it across town by the time you say you saw him?"

"Maybe he's a fast runner," he suggested, "or he took a taxi. I don't know and I don't care. It's not my job to figure out how he got there. I leave that up to the police and people like you. All I know is that I saw your client kill Lucky Spencer in cold blood that day. What he did before or after doesn't concern me."

Elizabeth wanted to stand up and call him a liar, but she couldn't. Tom Madigan was a great actor. She was sure the jury was buying every lying word out of his mouth. God, it made her sick. She couldn't listen anymore. She quietly stood and discretely made her way out of the courtroom.

She walked normally towards the witness holding room she had been in the day before. The policeman was not standing by the doorway. After checking both corridors for anyone watching, she entered the room and began searching for anything Madigan might have left and found a jacket lying across one of the chairs. She searched it but only found a match book from some bar just outside of town. Disappointed she replaced the jacket and turned to leave when she heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Without thinking she scrambled behind the window drapes in the far corner just as the door opened.

"I'm telling you, I was great. I had the jury eating out of my hand." Elizabeth couldn't see him but she knew the voice belonged to Tom Madigan.

"Would you keep it down someone might hear you," said another voice. Elizabeth could only assume it was the policeman from yesterday.

Madigan laughed. "You need to relax man. It's in the bag. I nailed it. Morgan won't be a problem anymore."

"Hey, Tommy, nothing's over yet. It's not done until the verdict is read. Morgan hasn't been convicted yet."

"You're exactly right, my man, and I am the only thing that's going to make that happen. Without me Morgan would walk."

It was quiet for a while making Elizabeth wonder what they were doing. She resisted the urge to take a quick look. It wouldn't help Jason if she got caught.

"Tommy, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I sold myself too short, Tony. Morgan's going to jail and I'm getting nothing. I think I'm worth a little more than that, don't you?"

"Are you insane?"

"Relax, I've got this under control."

There was another period of silence where Elizabeth thought she heard the sounds of a cell phone.

"Hey, it's me. I just got off the stand. Everything went great. Yeah, so great in fact I think we need to renegotiate our original deal."

"I want more money that's what I'm talking about. And I want it now not after the verdict."

"You think I'm stupid. Once Morgan's convicted, you won't have any need for me. I'll be disposable. There's no way I'm going to let that happen. I want $10 million now or else I'll go to the DA and tell them I lied about everything."

"Yeah, just try me. I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

"You try to kill me now and the police might actually figure out what's going on. Not to mention Corinthos. You wouldn't want that now would you."

"Well that's a chance I'm willing to take, are you? Tomorrow. The park. Midnight. Be there with the money or I speak to our favourite police detective."

"You're out of your mind, do you know that?" Elizabeth heard the other man say. It was the first time he'd spoken since the start of the telephone call. "Corinthos isn't enough for you, you have to go up against the boss, too."

"Tony, Tony, Tony," Madigan replied, "I told you. I have everything under control. This is my ball game now. He may be your boss but he isn't mine. In a few days this trial will be over and I'll be richer than I ever dreamed possible."

"The money won't mean anything if you're dead."

Madigan chuckled. "Tony, you have no faith."

Elizabeth could hear the two men moving around the room then opening the door and closing it behind them. She waited a few more minutes to be sure they didn't return before leaving her hiding place. She slowly opened the door and checked the hall. When she was sure they weren't in the hallway, she left the room and made her way to the exit.

She didn't stop until she'd reached her studio where she removed her wig and sat down on the couch. She should call Alexis. Or Sonny. Someone needed to know about she'd just heard. But it was only her word against anything Madigan would say. The DA wouldn't believe anything she said especially if it was something that proved Jason's innocence. No, she needed physical evidence, and the only way to get that would be to go to the park tomorrow night. If she borrowed her grandmother's video camera she could record the money transfer and then even Detective Taggert couldn't say anything against it. Jason would be free.

She smiled. Jason was going to be free. The nightmare was about to be over.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Alexis closed the file she was studying and turned her attention to the man sitting next to her. He sat quietly as usual with his characteristic blank expression. To most everyone in the courtroom he looked cold and unfeeling, but she knew it was just an act. Jason was worried about the trial. He just refused to let anyone see it.

She reached over and squeezed his hand. He shifted his gaze to look at her dropping the mask he wore to reveal the anxiety he was feeling. She wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't lie to him. Instead she squeezed his hand again and gave him a reassuring smile. She wanted him to know that she would protect him as best she could. He nodded his understanding but was prevented from saying anything by the call to rise for the judge's entrance.

"Ms. Jensen, do you have any further witnesses to call at this time?"

Dara stood to address the court. "No, your honour, the prosecution rests."

"Thank you," Judge Torrie said. "Ms. Davis, you may call your first witness."

Alexis stood and spoke with a clear confidant voice. "The defence would like to call Jason Morgan to the stand."

A collective gasp reverberated throughout the courtroom. No one had expected Jason to take the stand in his own defence.

Jason slowly rose to his feet and walked around the defence table to reach the witness stand. With each step, he wondered again if this was the right thing to do. He was vulnerable on the stand. The DA, he knew, would try anything to get him to implicate himself in any of the crimes they suspected he was involved in. Alexis insisted that wouldn't be the case. She told him Dara Jensen could only question him about Lucky's death, nothing more, but he wasn't as confidant as she was. He knew the DA wouldn't be able to pass up the opportunity, especially regarding Sorel's death and Elizabeth's involvement.

Jason had originally opposed the idea of testifying for that reason alone. He knew the police couldn't charge him without evidence, but if he admitted Elizabeth had lied about his alibi, the police could go after her. He knew Taggert would find some reason to punish Elizabeth just to get back at him, and that was something he couldn't let happen. The image of her behind bars charged with obstruction of justice was one he didn't want to see become reality. He would plead guilty to Lucky's murder before that became a possibility.

Alexis had pushed for him to testify, though. She insisted he had to take the stand and tell his side of the story. The jury needed to know what kind of man he really was behind the image. They needed to look past the hit man stigma and see the man he only let a select few know.

Once he took his seat, Alexis approached the witness box. "Jason, can you tell us what happened in the park that day in March?"

He nodded and took a deep breath. "I was on my way to General Hospital when Lucky came up behind me with a gun. He wanted me out of Elizabeth's life. Before I could do anything Elizabeth appeared asking him to give her the gun. He refused and pulled the trigger. Elizabeth stepped in front of me and was hit in the chest."

Jason closed his eyes to the images of that day. Since Elizabeth came to the prison, he hadn't dreamt about the day she was shot. Now everything was coming back to him. He could see Elizabeth's lifeless body lying on the ground, blood covering her chest.

"What happened after Elizabeth was shot?" Alexis' voice seemed to be coming from miles away rather than only a few feet.

He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the woman standing in front of him. "I, uh, I caught her in my arms and lowered her to the ground. At first she was conscious, but then she stopped breathing. I called for an ambulance and started CPR."

Alexis disappeared from his vision again replaced by Elizabeth's dying body. He ran his hand over his eyes to shake the image. He needed to concentrate on his testimony not get drowned in memories.

Alexis could see Jason was struggling with this part of the testimony, but she knew it would benefit him in the long run. The jury needed to see this side of him, or else he would be spending the rest of his life behind bars. "Where was Lucky while you were helping Elizabeth?"

He didn't respond immediately. She wondered if he had even heard the question.

Just as she was about to ask her question again, he responded. "I don't know what happened to him," he said his voice deep with emotion. "My only concern was Elizabeth. He must have left but I never saw him go."

"Did you see Lucky Spencer again that night?"

"No, I didn't," he replied clearing his throat. "I went with Elizabeth to the hospital. When she was taken up to surgery, I went to the roof to wait for news. When I came down, Detective Taggert was waiting to arrest me."

"Jason, why did you go to the roof? Why didn't you go to the surgical waiting area?"

"I, uh, I don't like hospitals. A while ago I was in an accident, and I had to spend a long time at the hospital recuperating. Since then I've tried to avoid the hospital as much as possible," he told her begrudgingly not wanting to admit a weakness.

"Then, why stay at all? Why not go home and wait?"

He looked at the jury and shifted uncomfortably. He knew Alexis wanted him to be more personable, but he didn't want these people to know the depth of his despair over the thought of Elizabeth dying. "Elizabeth is my friend. She has been there for me when I've needed it the most. I couldn't leave her."

Alexis seemed to accept his answer and didn't push for more. "Jason, if you were on the roof the entire time, how could Thomas Madigan witness you killing Lucky?"

"I don't know," he said. "He must be mistaken."

"But the murder weapon was found in your room at Jake's?"

He shrugged. "Jake's doesn't have any security. Anyone could have gone into my room and left it there.

"Lucky's had a problem with me for over a year. If Lucky knew his killer, then the killer probably knew about that. Especially with Elizabeth getting shot. I am the perfect fall guy."

Alexis nodded in agreement. "Thank you, no more questions," she returning to her seat.

"Ms. Jensen, you may cross," the judge declared.

Dara stood to ask her first question. "Do you have a suspect to go with this theory you have?"

"No, I don't," he said shaking his head.

"So, you would like the jury to believe some unknown killer just happened upon Lucky Spencer just after he shot Elizabeth Webber then left the murder weapon in your room to frame you for murder?"

"Yes, it's the truth."

"The truth," she said in amazement. "The truth is that you hated Lucky Spencer. He had the woman you wanted. When he shot her, you went after him to punish him. You appointed yourself judge, jury and executioner. You..."

"Objection. Does the DA have a question or is she practising her closing statements?"

"Ms. Jensen, please refrain from grand standing and question the witness," ordered the judge.

"Yes, your honour," Dara said smugly.

"Mr. Morgan, are you in love with Elizabeth Webber?"

"She is one of my closet friends. Of course, I love her," he answered to the best of his ability without lying.

"I'm not talking about friendship love," Dara countered. "I'm talking of a more romantic relationship. Do you have romantic feelings for Miss Webber?"

Jason shifted in his seat. He looked over to Alexis hoping she could do something to help him. She could only shake her head.

"Mr. Morgan, do I need to ask the question again?" Dara asked a little louder than before.

"Yes."

"Yes, I need to ask the question again or yes, you have romantic feelings for Miss Webber?"

"Yes, I have romantic feelings for Elizabeth," Jason admitted.

"You're in love with her?"

"Yes."

"But she loved Lucky Spencer. How did that make you feel?"

"Elizabeth is free to love whoever she wants," he said.

"So, you're saying you didn't wish she loved you instead of Mr. Spencer?" Dara asked not quite believing Jason Morgan could be so self-sacrificing.

"I just wanted her to be happy."

"But she wasn't, was she? Lucky Spencer was trying to control her - telling her where to live, what to do, who to be friends with. I bet that made you angry," she asked adding the last part after a small pause.

"It upset me that Elizabeth was letting Lucky make decisions for her," he admitted.

Dara looked over to the jury. "You weren't angry at that? The woman you love was being controlled by her boyfriend. You didn't want to confront Lucky and beat some sense into him, tell him to treat her right."

"Yes, I wanted to do that," he admitted, "but I didn't want to compound Elizabeth's problems. She didn't need me fighting with Lucky."

"How noble of you," she said sarcastically. "I'm sure Lucky Spencer was relieved. The last person you got into a fight with ended up in the hospital with a concussion and broken ribs. But that was better than the person before that who suffered a fractured skull and broken arm."

"Objection, your honour, in both of those cases my client was defending himself and was not charged with assault."

"Sustained."

"Would you say you're a violent man Mr. Morgan?"

Jason thought for a moment then said, "No more than anyone else."

Dara appeared shocked by his answer. "Really? Has anyone else been arrested more than twenty times in the past three years on a variety of assault or murder charges?"

He shrugged. "I guess I've had an unlucky streak of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Is that right?" The DA looked across the courtroom to one particular person sitting in the front row. "Or maybe there's another reason. Mr. Morgan, what is your connection to Sonny Corinthos?"

Jason followed her gaze to the man in question. "We are business partners in a coffee import company."

"Are you not also Mr. Corinthos' enforcer for his illegal mob activities?"

Alexis immediately objected. "My client does not have to answer that question."

Dara moved to stand in front of the judge. "Your honour, I am not asking the witness to confess to a crime. I am asking him to admit to something the entire town already knows is true."

Judge Torrie considered it for a moment and agreed with the DA. "The witness may answer, but Councillor, you're walking a fine line with the law. Make sure you don't cross it."

Dara turned back to the witness box and waited for Jason to answer the question.

"I am head of Sonny's security," he admitted.

"Is that what you call it?" she said with a smirk. "Tell me, in your security role, are you familiar with fire arms?"

"Yes, I am licensed to carry a gun and am certified in a variety of weapons."

Dara stood directly in front of him and made direct eye contact. "Have you ever killed anyone in your position as head of security?"

"Objection!"

"I'm already way a head of you Ms. Davis," said the judge. "Ms. Jensen, you've just crossed that line. The witness is instructed not have to answer that question. Councillor, unless you want to be charge with contempt, I suggest you stick to the issue at hand."

"Yes, your honour. Mr. Morgan, I'm having a very hard time trying to believe you didn't want to go after Lucky Spencer after he shot the woman you love. She almost died on the way to the hospital. Two times, in fact. She was in surgery fighting for her life and you didn't want the person who put her there to be punished?"

"Of course, I wanted him to be punished. I wanted to break every bone in his body. I wanted him to suffer as much as she was suffering," he admitted. The hatred he felt coming through in every word he spoke. "But I couldn't leave her. Not until I knew she was going to all right."

Dara looked over to the jury and could see Morgan was getting to them. She needed them to see only the cold-blooded killer, not the man inside.

"If you had gone after Lucky Spencer, you wouldn't have had any difficulty relieving him of his weapon, would you, with all your experience as head of security?" Dara said the last word as if it was a bad word.

"No, probably not," Jason replied.

"You wouldn't have had any difficulty using the 9 mm gun to shoot Lucky?"

"No," he said again.

"You wouldn't have thought twice about killing Mr. Spencer?"

"No," he said again sitting up straight in the chair. "But …"

"So, you've admitted to being upset over Lucky's treatment of Elizabeth Webber, I have a file as big as a phone book showing you to be a violent man, you are familiar with fire arms, and you have no difficulty disarming a man and killing him if you wanted to," she listed off each point with her fingers. "What is stopping the jury from believing you killed Lucky Spencer because he shot Elizabeth Webber, who you love, over some theory of an unknown killer who just happened to pick the day Lucky went after you with a gun and shot Elizabeth instead? Why should the jury believe you?"

Jason looked at her directly and said, "Because I'm telling the truth."

"Truth!" Dara countered, "You don't know the meaning of the word."

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn, no more questions," Dara said returning to her seat.

Alexis was standing before Dara could take her seat to redirect. "Jason, did you kill Lucky Spencer?"

Jason shook his head. "No, I did not," he stated firmly.

She gave a pointed look to the jury and sat back down. "Thank you."

"The witness may step down," the judge instructed before hitting the gavel.

She was cold and she was tired, but she wasn't ready to give up. After walking through the park for the third time, Elizabeth was afraid she'd missed the exchange between Tom Madigan and his boss whoever that may be. They were supposed to meet at midnight, and it was already ten after. In all the scenarios she'd thought up the night before, not one was her not getting the evidence she needed.

She wondered how the trial had gone that day. Alexis had told her Jason would be taking the stand. She hoped everything had gone okay. Not that it mattered. After tonight, the trial will be over and Jason will be free. That is, she thought, if she got the evidence. If she didn't, she didn't know what would happen. She sighed. Maybe she should have told Sonny, she wondered as she looked around. He would have been able to have people covering the entire park.

"You're late."

Elizabeth turned, her heart beating wildly. There was no one behind her.

"I needed to make sure I wasn't followed," a voice replied. Elizabeth was sure it was Tom Madigan. She turned around again not sure where it was coming from. She ducked under the bushes and pulled out the video camera. Two men were standing on the opposite side of the bushed by a tree. They were in partial light but she was sure she could get everything she needed on tape. She pulled out her video camera and positioned herself on her stomach to film the encounter.

"You have my money?" Madigan asked.

"You seem to think, Mr. Madigan, you control this situation," the other man scowled pulling out a gun from his jacket pocket. "I'm here to tell you, you don't."

"Hey, you can't kill me," Madigan said arrogantly not afraid for his life. "You need me. Morgan hasn't been convicted yet. If I was found dead, people will realize the connection."

The unknown man raised the gun and pulled back the hammer. "Who said they'd find the body? Mr. Madigan, you're importance in this endeavour is slowly diminishing."

Elizabeth could see the uncertainly in his eyes, but Madigan still wouldn't drop the bravado. "If I don't return tonight, I left instructions to have all the tapes I recorded of our conversations handed over to the police. When they hear how you hired me to implicate Morgan in Spencer's death, Morgan will be out before sunrise. Then he'll come looking for you."

"You're bluffing," the other man said keeping his gun pointed at Madigan ready to pull the trigger.

"Just try me," Madigan said with a smirk. He took pleasure in seeing the other man's face fill with doubt. Did they really think he was stupid?

The other man took a few moments before lowering his gun and turning to retrieve a briefcase leaning against the tree. "This is half. You'll get the rest once Morgan is convicted."

Madigan smiled and took the briefcase. "I don't think so. I have no control of the jury. If Morgan is acquitted it won't be because of me. I've done everything you wanted. I deserve that money. If not I'm sure the police would be glad to know who paid me to lie."

The man grabbed Madigan and shoved him up against the tree. "You better pray Morgan is convicted. Because if he's not, you won't have any need for that money six feet under."

Laughter interrupted Madigan's retort. He shrugged off the man's hands, pushed him back and took off with his briefcase. The other man stared after him then disappeared into the trees.

Elizabeth let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she saw a couple walk by hand in hand. She got it all - Madigan's admission, the other man's threats, everything. She needed to keep herself under control. She wasn't out of the woods, yet. She would leave the celebration until she got back to her studio.

She slowly crawled out from under the bushes and stood. She placed the camera into her bag and checked to make sure no one had seen her. Quietly she made her way to the path. As casually as she could, she followed the path towards the park exit.

She wasn't prepared for the hand to come from behind and cover her mouth.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

Sonny poured himself another drink. What was he going to tell his best friend? He had promised Jason, he would look after Elizabeth. It was a simple request from a man who didn't ask for many things and this was how Sonny honoured it. Grant it, she was the one to slip by her guards, but it was still Sonny's responsibility to make sure she was protected and he failed. What was she thinking? Now he was going to have to tell Jason tomorrow when that could very well be his last day in the country.

First thing tomorrow morning closing arguments were going to be heard, and then the jury would be sent out for deliberation. If they came back with a guilty verdict, Sonny was prepared to get Jason during the prison transfer and fly him out of Port Charles. But would Jason go if he knew Elizabeth was in trouble? Would Jason even care about spending the rest of his life in prison if Elizabeth was dead?

He stared at the phone while he finished off another drink. Elizabeth wasn't dead. He refused to think about that possibility until he heard from his people. If God had wanted Elizabeth to die, she would have from her gunshot wound. He wouldn't bring her back from the brink of death only to take her again so soon after. No, Sonny was sure God had plans for Elizabeth and death wasn't it. But what exactly were His plans. Was Elizabeth going to be another person to suffer for Sonny and Jason's crimes?

He gripped the empty glass. After weeks of digging, he still didn't know who was behind this whole mess. Whoever it was, they were covering their tracks so well Sonny was beginning to think Lucky going after Jason was planned. Someone was using Lucky to get to him, which made Sonny wonder just how long this was going on without he or Jason knowing.

The shrill of the phone brought Sonny out of his thoughts. "Yeah," he said answering the phone.

"She's safe," replied Johnny on the other end.

Sonny breathed a sigh of relief. "Is she okay? Where was she?"

"Yeah. In the park. She was following Madigan."

"What!" Sonny screamed into the phone. "Where was our guy?"

"I don't know. Madigan must have gotten out without him knowing."

"Dammit!" Sonny was pissed. What else was going to go wrong? "What happened?"

"He met with someone and money passed hands."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know," Johnny told him. "I only arrived after the fact. Elizabeth told me of the meeting."

Sonny sighed. Nothing was going their way. "Where is Madigan now?"

"I don't know," Johnny answered again. "He hasn't returned to the safe house and I don't think he will. If this was his payoff, he's probably at the airport by now."

"I want Marco at the airport in case he hasn't left yet and Stan checking all flights out of Port Charles. I want to know where Madigan goes," Sonny ordered.

"Miss Webber is insisting on seeing you. I'm bringing her back to the penthouse."

"That's fine," Sonny replied before hanging up the phone.

He couldn't believe she would be foolish enough to follow Madigan. Anything could have happened to her. What could she possibly be thinking putting herself at risk like that? For that matter, how did she even know of the meeting in the first place?

Sonny didn't have to wait long for Elizabeth's arrival as she entered the penthouse without knocking a few minutes later.

"Sonny, Johnny's getting Alexis," she said quickly, "so hold off all questions until she arrives."

A dumbfounded Sonny watched as Elizabeth walked passed him and over to his computer at the same time digging for something that was in her bag.

"Elizabeth, what were you doing following Madigan?" he asked as she plugged what looked like a video camera into the computer.

"I told you to wait for Alexis," she said continuing with her task without looking up at him.

Before he could say anything else, the penthouse door opened again.

"This better be good," Alexis muttered half asleep as she entered the penthouse.

Elizabeth turned with the biggest smile on her face. "I have it, Alexis. I can prove Jason is innocent."

Alexis was instantly awake. "What do you mean?" she asked looking between Elizabeth and Sonny.

"Yesterday, I overheard Tom Madigan set up a meeting tonight. He wanted more money for his part in convicting Jason. They arranged to meet tonight in the park. I went and taped the meeting," she told them trying to contain her excitement. "Alexis, I got everything. Madigan admitting he was lying and that the other guy was paying him to lie. Madigan even implicated the other guy in Lucky's death.

"It's all here," she said pointing to the computer screen.

All three were quiet as the scene unfolded in front of them. They watched as the exchange between Madigan and the unknown man played out. When it came to an end, they didn't move or speak. They were overwhelmed at the implications of what they had just watched.

Sonny was the first to speak. He faced Alexis and asked, "Will this be allowed into court?"

Alexis continued to stare at the blank screen. "I'll make sure of it," she said assuredly. "Even if I have to use every connection I have or call in every favour, that video will be in evidence first thing tomorrow."

She turned to face Sonny. "Do you know who the other gentleman was?"

At Sonny's hesitation, she stopped him. "You know, it doesn't matter who it is. I don't need to know," she said as she walked over to the computer and unplugged the video camera.

"Elizabeth, you did good," Alexis said giving the younger woman a quick hug. "Everything's going to be all right now. I promise."

Without a second glance, she left the penthouse already thinking of previous case laws she would need to support her introduction of the video into evidence. She had a lot of work to do and didn't have a lot of time before court was in session.

Both Sonny and Elizabeth watched Alexis leave without comment. Once she was gone, Elizabeth turned back to the computer to turn it off and waited for Sonny's wrath.

"Why didn't you come to me when you learned of Madigan's meeting?" he asked quietly. Elizabeth could hear the disappointment in his voice. "Did you not trust me to do the right thing?"

Elizabeth sighed. She hadn't expected Sonny to take her actions personally. "I don't know why I didn't tell you. No, that's a lie. I didn't tell you because I wanted to handle this myself. I was tired of other people telling me what to do and having other people fixing my problems. I refuse to be some perpetual victim, Sonny. I wanted to take control of my own life."

"I understand your need to control your life, but anything could have happened to you tonight. You could have been discovered and taken against your will. You could have been shot again. You could have been bleeding to death in the park and no one would have known where you were," he told her closing his eyes to the images that had haunted him earlier.

"None of that happened," she said defiantly. "I can take care of myself, Sonny."

"I know you can. That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" she asked frustrated over Sonny's attitude.

"The point is when I found out you had snuck away from your guard, I was frantic," he said revealing just how important Elizabeth was to him. "You are more than just Jason's friend, Elizabeth. You're my friend, too. You're a part of this family. Did you not think I would be worried? Did you not think that I would care about what happened to you? I thought the people behind all this had taken you. I thought you could be dead or worse and there was nothing I could do."

Elizabeth was overcome with emotion. She knew Sonny cared about her, but she never knew he considered her a part of his family. Now she regretted not telling him what she knew.

"I'm sorry," she said wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "I never meant for you to worry. I only thought about Jason and getting him free. I'm sorry that I caused you so much heartache."

He tightened his arms around her waist before letting her go. "Promise me you will never take off from your guard like that again."

"I'd like to, Sonny. I really would, but you know that I can't," she said wiping a tear from her eye. "But I can promise that I will think before I do anything reckless again."

Sonny nodded knowing that was the most he was going to get. He gave a small chuckle thinking of Jason. He would have his hands full with Elizabeth.

"Alexis will get the video into evidence, won't she?" Elizabeth asked a little worried the DA may do something to stop Alexis.

He shook his head, "You know Alexis. If she said she can do it, she will."

Elizabeth smiled. "Jason's going to be free tomorrow," she said as the reality of the situation finally sank in.

Sonny returned her smile. "Yes, he is."

With a final hug of happiness, Elizabeth left the penthouse, leaving Sonny alone to worry about the importance of Elizabeth's video. He wasn't worried about Alexis' ability to introduce it into evidence. He was more worried about who was on the tape. Anthony Roscoe was the man paying off Madigan, Sonny recognized him immediately. But it didn't make sense. Roscoe didn't have the kind of money or clout to set up this entire situation. Once Sorel was killed, Sonny had taken control of the other man's holdings. Roscoe had nothing. He had disappeared and Sonny had assumed he was running scared, but now he could see that was far from the truth.

Roscoe had to be working for someone else, Sonny decided. But who would be foolish enough to hire Roscoe after the mess he had made of Sorel. Unless, Roscoe had been working against his old boss this whole time. Had this entire thing been in the works before Jason even came back to town? Both Sonny and Jason had thought Sorel was behind the incidents that had plagued their organization earlier in the year. Incidents that had caused Jason to return to Port Charles and investigate their own people. Jason had seen Roscoe paying off one of Sonny's trusted guards. But what if Roscoe had been setting Sorel up to take the fall? What if Sorel wasn't behind the warehouse bombing as they had originally thought? That would mean Jason killed Sorel for no reason and more importantly, their real enemy was still out there and they didn't know who it was.

That didn't sit well with Sonny. He didn't like the unknown, especially when it came to an enemy. Whoever it was, he'd been playing them for a long time, and Sonny wasn't going to allow it anymore. He was going to find this person, even if he had to turn over every rock in this town.

* * *

Alexis was tired. No, she was more than tired, she was exhausted. But she was ready and that was all that mattered. She could sleep after Jason was free. She looked over to the prosecution's table and gave Dara a small smile as Jason was escorted to her table.

Before Alexis could reassure Jason of her new evidence, they were called to rise and the judge entered the courtroom. The jury was brought in and the judge asked if both attorneys were prepared for closing statements.

"Your honour," Alexis began standing to address the judge, "new evidence has been brought to my attention that will prove my client's innocence."

Dara stood immediately ignoring the whispers coming from the gallery. "I object. The defence rested her case yesterday. If she had evidence, she should have introduced it then."

"I agree, Miss Jensen," Judge Tory said, "This is highly irregular, Councillor."

"Your honour, the evidence I speak of is a video tape that was made last night," Alexis informed the judge. "I could not introduce something that had not been made yet."

"That is irrelevant," the DA insisted. "Miss Davis was given ample time to present her case to the best of her ability. This is –."

"I have precedence, your Honour," Alexis interrupted. "In New York State v. McCafferty in 1995, the prosecution was allowed to introduce wire tap evidence obtained after they had presented their case. All I am asking is for the same consideration as the defence."

The judge nodded. "I am aware of that trial, Miss Davis and the judge who presided over it. Had I been its judge, I'm not sure I would have reached the same decision. However, before I can make any decision, I would like to see this tape in my chambers. There will be a fifteen minute recess."

Alexis handed the tape to the bailiff as the judge hit her gavel to begin the recess. She retrieved the tape from the bailiff and exited the courtroom from a side door.

"Alexis, what's going on?" Jason asked. "What is this tape? Where did it come from?"

Not wanting to be overheard, Alexis leaned over and whispered, "Someone who loves you a great deal followed Tom Madigan last night and video taped an exchange between him and another man where money passed hands. She got Madigan's confession of perjury on tape."

Alexis' news did not make Jason happy. "Was she hurt? Did they know she was there? Where was her guard? How could Sonny have let her do this?"

Alexis gripped his hand reassuringly. "She's fine, Jason. Nothing happened to her. You know her, an army wouldn't have stopped her from doing what she wanted to do, and she wanted to prove your innocence."

Jason agreed with his attorney's assessment but didn't like it. "She's already been hurt enough. She shouldn't risk her life because of me."

"And you wouldn't do the same for her?" Alexis countered. "You cannot have it one way and not the other. She has proven she's not some helpless woman needing you to save her. She is strong and able to fight not only her battles but yours as well. Don't fight against her, Jason. Fight beside her."

Jason didn't know what to say. All he wanted to do was to protect Elizabeth from everything that would hurt her. What was wrong with that? Before he could figure out the answer, the judge returned to court.

"I have viewed the tape and I do see its importance to the defence. After careful consideration, I have decided to grant the defence's petition and let the jury see the tape. Bailiff, please bring in the TV," she instructed as one side, the Spencer Cassadine side, of the gallery erupted at her decision.

"Order, order in this court," Judge Torrie demanded striking her gavel. "There will be silence in this courtroom."

Once the room quieted down, the lights were dimmed and the tape was played. When it was done, shocked silence filled the room. Jason Morgan was telling the truth. Tom Madigan, the person everyone thought was an upstanding citizen, was really perjuring himself for money.

Alexis gave the courtroom a few moments to digest what they had just seen before standing and addressing the judge again. "Your honour, I have a motion to dismiss all charges against my client. The prosecution has not been able to prove my client guilty of any of the charges against him. They have no physical evidence placing him anywhere near the crime and their star witness has now been shown to be anything but. It would be a travesty of justice to allow this trial to continue."

"I agree," the judge said. "Miss Jensen, do you have anything to add before I make my ruling?"

Dara slowly rose seeing her case crumble around her. "No, your honour."

"Then, Jason Morgan, the charges against you are hereby dismissed. You are free to go," Judge Torrie ordered striking her gavel for the last time.

Jason was surrounded before the judge even exited the courtroom. Carly reached him first almost knocking him down from the impact of her embrace and refused to let go. Sonny had to pry her arms away from Jason to give Emily and Monica equal chance to hug the man of the hour. Once they had had their turn, Carly went back for seconds. Jason smiled and returned the hug with equal excitement. He was free.

He turned Carly over to Sonny and held his hand out to Alexis. "Thank you."

She shook his hand acknowledging his gratitude, but then said, "Don't thank me, Jason. I can't take credit for this. It wasn't me that proved your innocence."

Jason looked between Alexis and Sonny. "Where is she?"

Sonny was the one to answer. "She said you would know where to find her. Something about a statue?"

Jason smiled. Without a backward glance, he raced from the courtroom almost knocking down a TV reporter waiting to question him. At the doors, he could hear Carly yelling about a celebration dinner at The Grill but didn't stop for the details.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Jason broke every speed limit to reach Elizabeth stopping only when he came to the boundary to the estate. Elizabeth was sitting at the base of the girl statue on a picnic blanket holding a sketchbook. She looked so beautiful his chest ached. He thought of the danger she put herself in to prove his innocence. Did he really deserve to have this woman love him? He was a killer and that wasn't going to change. Did he really have the right to have something as good as Elizabeth in his life? the right thing for him to do would be to turn around and never see her again. But he couldn't do that. He promised to never hurt her and leaving, he knew, would do just that.

At that moment, Elizabeth raised her head and looked in his direction. She rose slowly to her feet trying not to blink in case he disappeared when she wasn't looking.

"Jason?" she called out. "Are you really here? Alexis did it? You're free?"

"No, you did it," Jason said as he held out his arms to her.

She said something incoherent and rushed forward.

He received her hungrily, and his mouth came down on hers. There was no gentleness in his kiss. No restraint, either. The lips that parted hers were deeply and passionately sensual, and they demanded an equal response.

His hands parted her thin woollen shirt to find her breasts, stroking her nipples to exquisite arousal through the satin bra she was wearing. She moaned her pleasure into his mouth, her entire body melting with her need.

When at last he raised his head, they were both breathless. Without saying a word, Jason lifted Elizabeth into his arms and carried her to the picnic blanket.

He laid her gently onto the blanket and began removing her clothes. When she was naked, he began kissing her body, his mouth hot and urgent. His tongue lapped at her breasts, turning the engorged peaks to flame.

At the same time, his hand was caressing her belly, moving down over her quivering thighs and parting them. Her body arched under the exquisite intimacy of his touch demanding more.

As his fingers continued their intense erotic play, she could feel the last vestige of her control slipping away. Then suddenly, her body imploded, consuming her totally with wave after wave of pleasure.

Jason said her name huskily. She felt him strip off his clothes, then lifted himself over her, and entered her. She enfolded him rapturously, her whole body alight with the warmth and strength of him inside her, her hands clinging to his shoulders, her legs locked round his waist in total surrender.

It was a lovemaking born from a stark and compelling need, and Elizabeth answered every powerful thrust with passionate completeness, her body as wild and driven as his own. Deep within her, she sensed the inexplicable build of delight beginning once more, and felt her body quiver and shatter into a renewal of pleasure.

And at the height of her pleasure, as she was overcome by sensation, she heard him cry out in his own release.

* * *

Vincent knocked tentatively on his boss' door. The news wasn't good and he wished he wasn't the one who had to tell it. He didn't know his boss well enough to know how he would react to finding out Jason Morgan was free. Madigan had been found out – the rat bastard. 

Hearing the command to enter, Vincent opened the door to find the room cloaked in darkness. He hesitated unsure of what he should do until he saw the silhouette of his boss by the window. He advanced into the room stopping by the desk.

"Sir, Jason Morgan was released today. His charges were dropped," he told the man's back.

"I am aware of that," replied the man as he stared out over the city's landscape. "I was there. What I would like to know is what has been done to handle the situation?"

"Madigan has disappeared. I have the men working on it, but he seems to have left the city without us knowing. Even Corinthos doesn't know where he is," Vincent said.

"I want him found and taken care of," the shadowy figure commanded. "I want nothing leading back to me, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where is Roscoe?"

"On ice in the warehouse on 53rd street," Vincent informed his boss.

"Good. First thing tomorrow, I want his body on Corinthos' doorstep," the man turned to face his employee. "I want Corinthos to know that he is no longer in control of this town and soon his whole organization."

"Yes, sir," Vincent replied before exiting the room.

AJ Quartermaine faced the window once more his hands clenched into tight fists. Jason was free. His plan had failed. Once again, his younger brother had beaten him.

For the last two months AJ suffered through the constant bickering in his family over Jason's arrest. It gave him a silent thrill seeing his family members torn at the thought of Jason facing the death penalty. Every day, he secretly rejoiced as he sat with his father and grandfather in the courtroom as they watched their golden son fight for his life. Grandfather would curse Sonny Corinthos and Lucky Spencer. He even blamed Elizabeth Webber for the travesty that had befallen his precious grandson, as he called it. Little did he know that AJ was the cause of all of their heartache.

It was fate really. Fate has brought AJ and Roscoe together well over a year ago. AJ was trying to find some way to destroy Sonny Corinthos after he forced AJ to relinquish his rights to his son, Michael. Roscoe was looking to take over Sorel's operation and join the big boys of organized crime. It was a partnership made in revenge heaven.

Fate also brought him and Lucky Spencer together. What else would you call a chance meeting on the docks one day where they got to talking and AJ realized Lucky's hatred for his brother? It was so easy to feed on Lucky's paranoia. Jason wants your girl. Jason's going to take your girl from you. You need to get rid of Jason before that can happen. Only the snivelling idiot couldn't do the job right. He shot Elizabeth instead. It didn't matter though. After AJ took care of the Spencer kid, the idea of prison was even better. Why kill Jason, when he could suffer for the rest of his life behind bars?

But that, too, didn't happen. His brother was free and probably enjoying the comforts of the freedom right now in the arms of the lovely Miss Webber. The very idea made his blood boil.

AJ was so deep in thought, he didn't here the woman enter the room until she gripped his shoulders.

"My, my, my, aren't we tense," came a sultry voice from behind him. AJ looked to the window to see the woman massaging his back.

"My brother's charges were dropped," he told her.

"Yes, I heard. I'm sorry," she purred into his ear. "On the brighter side, my husband is dead."

AJ turned around and grabbed the woman's wrists. "Dammit, Faith, Jason is free."

"Yes, I know," she replied yanking her wrists out of his grasp. "This is only a temporary set back. Our plan is still working. Sorel and my husband are dead, Corinthos has absolutely know idea that we are responsible for the trouble he's been having and soon ELQ will belong to you.

"Trust me, baby. We are about to get everything we've ever wanted," she said before pulling him down into a savage kiss.

* * *

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes loving the feel of Jason's arms wrapped tightly around her and knowing that it wasn't a dream. Jason was free. She wasn't going to lose him. 

"I seem to have developed a habit of attacking you when you come near me," she said with a little smile.

"I'm not complaining," he replied kissing the base of her neck.

"Are you mad I didn't let Sonny handle it?" she asked quietly.

"No," he replied lifting himself up on one elbow to look into her eyes, "just worried. Anything could have happened to you, and I wouldn't have been able to help you. You almost died before. I don't want you to ever get hurt again."

Elizabeth reached up to caress his face. "I don't want to get hurt again, either. But I can't guarantee I won't and neither can you. All I can say is that I promise not to take anymore unnecessary risks.

"Besides, it's not like I'll be working for Sonny now and asking to carry a gun. You were in trouble and I could do something to help you. How often do you think that's going to happen?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Elizabeth," he said taking her hand in his linking their fingers.

"I'm serious," she insisted. "I needed to take control of my life and finding the evidence to free you was my way of doing that. But I have no intention of taking those risks again. I want to go back to school and paint. I want to go shopping with Emily and dish about our boyfriends. I want to have Sunday dinners at my grandmother's house. I'll leave all the danger stuff to you."

"You know it's not that simple," he said thinking of the obstacles they still had to face - Carly, the Spencers, Nikolas Cassadine, the Quartermaines and his job all came to mind.

"I know it won't be, but at this moment I don't care about all that," she said. "You are free and we are together. Everything else is secondary to that."

Jason looked at her face and saw the happiness radiating from her every pore. He didn't want that happiness to ever diminish. There would be time to deal with all the hurdles they would have to face but not now. They didn't need to solve everything right that second.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you," she answered back just before Jason claimed her mouth again with a sweet gentle kiss that promised her what she already knew in her heart. Nothing was going to separate them again.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Luke Spencer stopped short when the elevator opened to reveal Mac Scorpio and two uniformed officers.

"Commissioner," he said.

"Spencer," Mac replied as his two officers stepped aside to allow the older gentleman to pass.

Luke waited for the elevator to close before turning his attention to the man standing guard. "I want to see Sonny," he demanded.

"Mr. Corinthos doesn't …"

"I don't care what Mr. Corinthos wants," Luke said pushing his way passed the guard and opening the penthouse door, "I want to see him now."

Luke entered to find Sonny standing by the fireplace, drink in hand. Not an unusual image, just not at eight in the morning.

"Max, it's alright," Sonny said before swallowing the brown liquid in his glass.

Luke waited for the guard to leave then demanded, "I want answers, Corinthos."

Sonny sighed, "Luke …"

"Don't mistake me for some wet behind the ears police recruit," said the older gentleman. "I know one of Sorel's men when I see him. He killed my boy or knows who did. I want to talk to Roscoe."

"Well, you can't," Sonny replied. "He's dead."

Luke frowned unhappy with this turn of events. "Jason just got out of jail and already you have him working? Didn't he deserve a night off?"

Sonny walked over to the liquor cabinet and refilled his glass. "Jason had nothing to do with it. Commissioner Scorpio was just here to inform me that Roscoe's body was thrown from a moving car earlier this morning in front of our new coffee warehouse."

Luke watched silently as Sonny swallowed the brown liquid in one shot. "What about Madigan? Where is he?"

Sonny placed the glass on the tray resisting the urge for another drink. "Never returned to police custody. No one knows where he is."

"This wasn't revenge for Sorel," Luke stated already knowing what Sonny wasn't saying. "There's a new player. Someone else is after you and your territory. Who is it?"

Sonny took his time pouring himself another drink – this time water. Could he involve his old friend when he wasn't completely sure just how deep Lucky was in?

"Luke," he began, but the older gentleman stopped him.

"Sonny, my son is dead," Luke asserted. "You aren't going to keep me out of this."

"Even if it turns out Lucky was working for his killer?"

Luke stared at Sonny dumbfounded. "Lucky was not working for the person who killed him?"

"Are you sure about that?" Sonny asked. "Think about it, Luke. No one suspected Lucky would try and kill Jason. Everyone thought it was the other way around, so how do you explain Roscoe or who ever Roscoe worked for finding Lucky on the docks just after he shot Elizabeth and coming up with the plan to frame Jason?"

"I don't know," Luke yelled. "Maybe they were following Jason."

Sonny sighed knowing his friend was refusing to listen. "I know you don't want to hear this but Lucky went to the docks to meet whoever he was working for. Why else was he there? He had just shot Elizabeth. Does it make sense for Lucky to go to the docks afterwards?"

"Does it make sense for Lucky to shoot Elizabeth?" Luke asked his voice filled with pain. "Lucky was not himself. If he had been he wouldn't have done the things he did to Elizabeth, or gone after Jason. He was suffering from whatever that bitch and her psycho sidekick did to him for over a year. He needed help and no one could see it until it was too late."

"I'm not arguing that Lucky didn't have problems," Sonny told his friend, "but I'm telling you that this wasn't just some coincidence. One of my enemies wasn't waiting around for the off chance that Jason would be held at gunpoint where the woman he loves would be shot and then kill the shooter to frame him.

"Lucky went to the docks to meet who he was working with. The plan had gone wrong. He would have needed help to fix it, but he obviously didn't think his partner would turn against him. Whoever it is killed Lucky and framed Jason."

Luke shook his head at the scenario Sonny was describing. "No, you're wrong. That is not what happened. Lucky would have been out of his mind with grief over shooting the woman he loved. Maybe he suffered a complete breakdown and was just wondering the docks aimlessly, or maybe he was looking for Nikolas to help him. Either way, it doesn't matter. I don't care why my son was at the docks. All I care about is that he is dead and I want to know who killed him. So you need to tell me who it is, Sonny. Who killed my son?"

"I don't know," Sonny answered.

"Don't lie to me," Luke yelled.

"Luke, I'm telling you the truth," Sonny said. "I don't know who's behind this, yet. But I will and when I do, you'll be the first to know."

"No," Luke said. "I'm not going to just sit around and wait for you to keep me informed. I want in. I want to know everything you have so far and that's not a request."

Sonny sighed. "I'll have everything you want tonight."

"Good," Luke replied turning for the door. He stopped before running into Jason standing on the other side of the threshold.

"Jason," he said to the man he thought until yesterday killed his son with mixed feelings. Jason may not have killed Lucky, but Luke knew he was still the reason his son was dead.

"Luke," Jason said as he stepped back to allow the older gentleman to pass.

"What did he want?" Jason asked as he entered the penthouse.

"Everything I know about Lucky's death," Sonny responded. "Unfortunately he wasn't happy with what I had to tell him?"

"Which was?"

"Roscoe's dead, Madigan has disappeared and Lucky may have been working for his killers."

"What?" Jason asked incredulous. "Are you sure about that? Lucky was crazy when he came after me. He didn't seem to have any plan. He came at me out in the open in broad daylight."

"I don't know. Maybe working for are the wrong words. Maybe these people knew that Lucky was disturbed and were using him to get what they wanted. Either way, Lucky knew his killer and Luke didn't want to believe it."

Jason nodded. What Sonny said made sense. "What have we got?"

"Nothing," Sonny said. "Absolutely nothing. I know who it wasn't. I've been able to cross all our previous possible threats off the list. I've got people looking into South America, Chicago and Miami, but so far everything is clean. This person is new and that's what makes him dangerous."

"What do you want me to do?" Jason asked his voice devoid of emotion.

"I want you to take a few days off and relax," Sonny told him. "You just got out of prison. You need a vacation. Go down to the island. Take Elizabeth with you."

"I can't. Elizabeth is moving back into her studio today and she's taking summer classes at PCU to catch up on what she has missed."

"Are you okay with that?" Sonny asked. "The studio isn't the most secure of places."

Jason nodded, "I know. That's one of the reasons I'm here. I want to assign Francis as her guard. I also want our people to go through the entire building and make it as secure as possible."

Sonny didn't hesitate. "It's done. Get Johnny and anyone else you think you'll need."

"Uncle Jason!" Both men turned to see Michael running down the stairs straight for Jason.

"Hey, buddy," Jason laughed as he stooped down to take the running child in his arms.

"You missed daddy's birthday," the little boy accused.

"I know," Jason replied as he set Michael down. "I'm sorry. I would have been here if I could."

"Mommy said you had to go away, but you didn't say good-bye."

Jason sighed and walked Michael over to the couch. "My trip wasn't planned, so I didn't have time to say good-bye. If I could have, I would have come to see you."

"Are you back to stay?" The little boy asked.

"Yeah, buddy, you're not getting rid of me," Jason said giving Michael a hug. "I promise we'll go to the park tomorrow. Would you like that?"

"You bet," Michael said smiling up at his one time father.

"Michael, where's your mom?" Sonny asked.

"Upstairs, getting dressed," the boy replied not taking his eyes off of Jason.

Sonny laughed at his son's hero worship of Jason. "You want to go tell her that Jason is here. I know she would love to know."

"Okay," Michael yelled and ran up the stairs as fast as his little legs could go.

"He's getting so big," Jason commented trying unsuccessfully to hide sadness in his voice. It had been over two years but he still missed being Michael's father.

"I know," Sonny replied. "It seems like Carly has to buy him new shoes every week. He keeps growing out of the old ones. I can't believe he'll be starting kindergarten in September. It seems like only yesterday he and Carly came into my life." He was quiet for a moment then continued. "Jason, I just want to thank you."

The younger man looked at his best friend shocked. "For what?"

"For what?" Sonny asked incredulous. "Man, where do I begin - my life, my family, Carly, Michael, everything. I wouldn't have any of this without you."

Jason shook his head. "Sonny, this is the way it was supposed to be."

"But none of this would have happened if not for you, so thank you."

"You're welcome," Jason said quietly.

"Jason!" Both men again turned to see Carly running down the stairs and into Jason's arms virtually identical to her son not ten minutes earlier.

"I should be mad at you for skipping my party last night," she said after finally releasing him.

Jason smiled. "I'm sorry but I had somewhere more important to be."

"Ugh, I can't believe you picked her," she said. "Out of all the women in Port Charles, you have to fall in love with that goody-goody muffin face."

He sighed. He'd been gone a month but it seemed like nothing had changed. "Carly, I don't want to have this discussion again. Leave Elizabeth alone."

She laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "Relax, I'm just kidding with you. Elizabeth didn't tell you?"

"I know this may shock you, but you're not exactly the first thing on my mind when I'm with her," he told her with a smirk.

"Don't tell me. I'd rather not have that image in my head," she said with a disgusted look on her face before becoming very serious. "I think you might need to sit down for this."

He took a seat on the couch and braced for whatever Carly was about to say. "What did you do?"

She smiled knowing he was expecting the worst. "You're going to be proud of me. I did what you wanted. I apologized for everything I put her through and she accepted. We called a truce between us. From now on we're going to be civil to each other. Well, more me than her, but you get the idea."

He sat silently for a few minutes not sure he really heard Carly correctly. "Is this true?" He asked Sonny.

Sonny laughed. "Yeah, it's true. I know what you're thinking. When she told me, I thought someone had kidnapped her and replaced her with a look-a-like. I was going to rush her to GH for DNA testing."

She elbowed her husband in the stomach. "Laugh all you want but Elizabeth and I reached an understanding."

"An understanding?" Jason asked amazed by this turn of events.

"Yes," she replied. "I promised to stop giving her a hard time and she promised to stop bringing up all the mistakes I made with you. We're never going to be friends but we will be able to tolerate each other."

He was speechless. This was more than he could ever have hoped for. "Are you alright?" He asked concerned. Maybe there was something he didn't know about.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she said hitting Sonny in the stomach again when he started laughing once more. "There doesn't need to be something wrong with me for me to be nice."

"Well, that's not entirely true," Sonny said between laughs.

Now Jason was worried. "What do you mean? Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not sick," she told him. "I'm pregnant."

He was speechless again. "Pregnant?" He asked looking between Sonny and Carly for confirmation. "Pregnant," he said again when both nodded. He smiled and took her in his arms.

"This is great," he said as he shook Sonny's hand. He realized now why Sonny had thanked him earlier. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, man," Sonny replied. "We need to celebrate – for both the pregnancy and you being released from prison. We can have a celebratory breakfast instead of last night's dinner. I'll go make my special Spanish omelettes," he said giving his wife a quick kiss before going to the kitchen to begin.

"I can't believe you're pregnant," Jason said taking a seat on the couch.

Carly smiled. "I know, isn't it amazing?" she said sitting beside him. "Who would have thought that I would be here happily married with children when I first came to town."

"It's what you've always wanted, Carly," he said. "A family you belong to."

"I know and I have you to thank for it. Without you none of this would have happened." She looked at him confused when he started to laugh. "What?"

"That's the same thing Sonny said to me before you came down the stairs," he told her.

"It's true. Sonny and I wouldn't be together if not for you," she said as a tear fell down her cheek. "There is no way I will ever be able to repay you for everything you've done for me."

"Just be happy," he said wiping the tear from her cheek. "That's all I want."

"Are you happy, Jason?" she asked.

He wasn't sure just how to answer her question. He thought of the argument he knew Elizabeth and her grandmother would have when the older woman found out about Elizabeth's intention to move out – not to mention when she found out about he and Elizabeth. He thought of this unknown enemy who came close to sending him the prison and who would continue to be a threat until he was dealt with. He thought of Elizabeth's smile this morning when she woke and saw him looking down at her. "Yes, I'm happy," he said.

"You're sure?" She asked. "I mean really, really, really sure the muffin makes you happy?"

"Carly," he said with a hint of warning in his tone.

"What?" she asked. "You can't blame a girl for giving it one last shot, can you? Truce or no truce."

"Carly, please," he began only to be interrupted as Sonny returned to the living room to announce breakfast was ready.

Carly gave Jason a quick smile then stood and walked toward her husband calling Michael and Leticia as she did. Jason sighed before turning to the happy couple. Carly was never going to change.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

"Elizabeth, think about what you are doing."

Elizabeth placed a folded shirt into her bag and took a deep breath. She didn't want to have this argument again with her grandmother. "I'm moving back to my studio. That's all. Nothing more. It's time I started living my life again."

"Darling, you just got out of the hospital," Audrey said.

"That was three weeks ago," Elizabeth said as she placed another shirt into her bag. "I've done everything my doctor has told me to do. I've rested enough. The summer semester has already started. I need to catch up in all of my classes. I was lucky the dean allowed me to stay in the program considering all the time I've missed."

Audrey moved to sit on Elizabeth's bed. The brochures she had given her granddaughter were lying on the bedside table. "Have you even looked at the other schools I talked about?"

"No, I haven't," Elizabeth said as she continued her packing.

"Elizabeth," Audrey said her voice laced with a combination of disapproval and disappointment.

"Grams, I'm not having this conversation again. We have gone over this a thousand times since I was released from the hospital. I'm not leaving Port Charles."

"What about your dream of attending The Art Institute in New York?" Audrey asked taking the brochure in question off the table.

Elizabeth stopped her packing and stared at the book in her grandmother's hand. "My dreams have changed. I want to stay and finish the art program here at PCU."

"No, you want to stay here to be closer to Jason Morgan," Audrey said not even trying to hide the distain she felt from her voice.

Elizabeth sighed. "Jason has nothing to do with me moving back to my studio and going back to art school."

"He has everything to do with your decision to move back to your studio and attend PCU. If you weren't infatuated with him, you wouldn't be refusing the money I offered to go to the school you've always wanted to go to," Audrey insisted. "He is the reason you don't want to leave this city."

"Even if that was true, which it isn't, so what?"

"So what?" Audrey asked incredulous at her granddaughter's deliberate ignorance. "Jason Morgan is a cold, unfeeling mobster that has no conscience and kills with no thought to the fact that it is wrong."

Elizabeth shook her head disappointed in her grandmother. "If you knew Jason, you would know that he isn't the man you just described."

"What do I have wrong, Elizabeth? You cannot stand there and tell me that he is not a mobster, a hit man, who kills whenever Sonny Corinthos orders him to. Just because he has never been convicted for his crimes, doesn't mean he doesn't commit them."

"Gram, that is his job, not who he is."

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes, there is," Elizabeth insisted, a smile forming on her face. "The Jason I know is gentle and patient. He lets me be myself with no façade. With him, I don't have to pretend about who I am. I don't have to be afraid of him turning me away when he sees the real me. Jason knows everything there is to know about me and he loves me anyway."

Elizabeth moved to sit beside her grandmother. "He loves me, Grams. Really loves me. He would do anything for me even if it meant hurting himself. And I love him. Isn't that what you've always wanted for me – someone who loves and respects me, someone who will do everything he can to make me happy?"

Audrey took the younger girl's hands in hers. "Yes, I want that for you. I want you to be happy and have all your dreams come true, but I don't see how that could possibly happen if you're with Jason Morgan. You say he is all these wonderful things, but that doesn't change the fact that his job is dangerous – not only for himself but also for those around him. You have already been shot. You almost died. I don't want to think about what could happen the next time there is a shooting."

Elizabeth's shoulders dropped in disappointment. It was clear her grandmother was refusing to listen to what she had to say. "You know Jason's job was not the reason I was shot."

"I know, dear," her grandmother said. "As much as I would like to, I can't blame him for you getting shot. I'm just saying that you've been though enough – the rape, Lucky's kidnapping, the shooting, Lucky's death and the trial. You shouldn't have to deal with anything else. You shouldn't have to constantly worry that the man you love could be arrested at any time. You shouldn't have to worry that you or he or both could be killed when you're walking down the street."

"I trust Jason to protect me," Elizabeth told her honestly. She couldn't lie to her grandmother about the possible danger she would be in.

Audrey stood and crossed the room. She needed to put as much distance between her and her granddaughter as she could to stop herself from trying to shake some sense into the younger woman. "Elizabeth, you can't seriously be that naïve. Not after everything you've been through."

Elizabeth shifted on the bed to look at the older woman. "But that's just it. All of those things happened to me and they had nothing to do with Jason's job. Bad things happen, Grams, but goods things happen, too. And the one thing I've learned from everything I've been through is to hold on to the good things because you never know what the future will bring."

She stood and walked over to her grandmother. "Jason is my good thing, Grams. Please give him a chance to show you the side of him that I know. Please. I know I'm asking a lot, but you are the two people I love the most in this world. Please, can you try to see past his job to the man inside – the man that I love?"

Audrey sighed. She wanted to do what Elizabeth asked but she didn't think she could. "He's a killer, Elizabeth. How can you ask me to accept him in your life? He breaks the law every day.

"I'm sorry but I can't ignore what he does and I can't understand how you can," she said and walked out the room. It was either that or continue an argument that she was sure would end badly. Audrey could almost feel the ultimatum rising up her throat, and she knew she would be the loser if she had let it out.

She couldn't do it. She just couldn't accept Jason Morgan in Elizabeth's life. But she couldn't lose her granddaughter either. What was she going to do? The idea of Elizabeth with that man sent chills down her entire body. The constant danger, the illegal activity, the hounding by police – that wasn't the life Audrey wanted for Elizabeth. Not for her precious granddaughter.

As she descended the stairs, she wondered what else she could do to change Elizabeth's mind. The universities didn't work. Neither did the offer to go travelling across Europe. She was running out of ideas and Elizabeth would soon be leaving. Would her son be of any help?

As much as she would like to think Jeff would come running if he heard his daughter needed him, Audrey knew differently. Jeff had shown very little interest in Elizabeth over the years and she didn't think this new development was going to change that. Her biggest disappointment was her son's treatment of his youngest daughter simply because she didn't fit with the rest of the family.

A knock on the door brought her out of her ponderings only to find the cause of her stress standing on the other side of her front door.

"Mr. Morgan," she said trying to keep the disdain from her voice. Audrey wanted to slam the door in his face, to scream at him to leave her granddaughter alone, but she didn't. She did the only thing she could. "Come in. Elizabeth is packing."

"Thank you," Jason said quietly as he entered Elizabeth's childhood home.

An awkward silence passed between them. Audrey wasn't sure what she should do. The idea of asking a mob hit man to sit and have coffee seemed just too absurd to contemplate. Instead she left him standing by the door and walked back to the staircase to tell Elizabeth of his arrival.

At the base of the stairs, she stopped. If she couldn't convince her granddaughter, maybe she could reason with Jason Morgan.

"Mr. Morgan," she said as she made her way back to where he was standing. "You must realize that I'm not particularly happy with this relationship you have with my granddaughter?"

Jason hesitated. He didn't want to speak to Elizabeth's grandmother. He dreaded where this conversation would lead. Memories of confrontations with Mac Scorpio came to him and he knew history was going to repeat itself. He'd hated that his life had caused Robin's only family to turn against her, and he didn't want the same thing to happen again. He just didn't know how he was going to prevent it.

Seeing Jason's quiet response, Audrey continued, "Is there anything I could say that would possibly change your mind?"

"No, there isn't," he replied.

"I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous your life is," she said. "Why would you want Elizabeth to have to deal with the constant violence your life brings?"

"It's not up to me," he told her. "This is Elizabeth's decision."

"Elizabeth doesn't know what she is doing," Audrey said trying unsuccessfully to keep her voice from rising. "She isn't thinking clearly. She has been through a lot in the last year - Lucky's kidnapping and return, Helena, the shooting, the trial. She's not in her right mind and you are using that against her."

"Grams!" Elizabeth interrupted from the top of the stairs her suitcases at her feet. "Is that what you think? You think I'm crazy."

Audrey shook her head as her granddaughter descended the stairs. "No, darling, I didn't say that."

"You said, 'she's not in her right mind,' what else could you mean by that?" She asked dropping her bags at her feet. "You think I'm crazy to want to reclaim my independence and be with a man who loves me."

"No, I don't," Audrey insisted. "I just think you need more time to think things through."

"What do I need to think through? Jason loves me and I love him."

"Elizabeth, this man kills people for a living," the older woman said pointing to Jason. "He lives in a world of kill or be killed. Do you really want to live like that? Do you want to live in constant fear looking over your shoulder wondering when one of his enemies will take their chance and gun him down only to hit you by mistake?"

"Audrey, that's enough," Jason began but the other woman continued turning her attention on him.

"If you love her, how can you bring her into your life? How can you risk her life on a daily basis? And don't tell me you can protect her all the time. We both know that is impossible."

"Grams, stop it. This is my decision, not Jason's," Elizabeth argued. "If I didn't want to be with him, he would keep his distance even though he loves me."

Elizabeth sighed. "I know this isn't exactly what you wanted for me, but in a way, it is. You want me to be happy and Jason makes me happy."

"It is not that simple," Audrey said knowing it her heart she wasn't going to win this argument.

"It is that simple," Elizabeth responded. "For me, it's all that matters." She turned to the man she loved. "Jason, take me home." She didn't wait for his reply. Without looking at her grandmother, Elizabeth picked up her bags and walked out the door.

Jason gave Audrey one final look before following Elizabeth out the door. She had gotten as far as the porch steps. Even with her back was to him, he knew she was crying. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault," she told him whipping the tears from her eyes. "I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I knew Grams would have a problem with us, but I didn't think she would think I was crazy because I love you."

"She doesn't think you're crazy," he said. "She's just worried. You almost died, Elizabeth, and she doesn't want that to happen again. I know how she feels."

"Don't," she said turning to face him. "Please don't let what my grandmother said make you change your mind about us."

"I'm not," he said. He looked around him and sighed. "This isn't where I wanted to have this conversation."

"Jason, what is this about?"

"Yesterday was great, but today, we have to talk about what being together really means," he said.

Elizabeth didn't want to do this. She wanted them to go back to their statue and leave all of their problems behind. She wanted the real world to leave them alone. "Can we wait until we get to my studio please?"

"That's what I want to talk about," he said. "When we get there, Francis will be standing guard. He will be your guard from now on. He will be going with you to work and to school. The only time he won't be with you is when you're with me." He gave her a pointed look. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "He was my guard after Sorel put the bomb in my studio. I like him. He was nice to me."

Jason nodded glad she wasn't opposing his choice. "Good. I also needed to secure your studio, so I had Johnny replace your door, lock and windows, and put in security cameras in your hallways."

"You did what?" She asked stunned by what she'd just heard.

"I needed to make your studio more secure," he replied. "We both know the lock on your door can be picked without any difficulty."

"Why didn't you discuss this with me before you did anything?"

"I wanted everything ready for when you moved back in," he answered.

"Jason, I know I said that I didn't want to be involved in your business, but that doesn't mean I want to be excluded from decisions that specifically concern me, either." She sighed. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't need another Lucky in my life."

"That's not what I am doing. I'm not trying to control you," he said shocked that she would think such a thing. "I'm just worried about your safety."

She sighed again knowing he wasn't being another Lucky. "I understand that and I love you for it, but I'm not some delicate flower that you need to shield from your world."

"Elizabeth, your grandmother is right. My work is brutal and violent, and I don't want it to ever touch you," he said.

"She was also right when she said, you can't protect me all the time," she told him. "I'm in this, Jason, all the way. I know the risks involved and I know you will do everything you can to keep me safe. But that doesn't mean you get to make decisions about my safety without discussing them with me first. We're in this together, okay?"

"Okay," he replied taking her into his arms.

Knowing they couldn't stay on her grandmother's porch forever, he released her and picked up her bags. They quietly walked to his SUV. It wasn't until the bags were loaded and he was about to open the driver door that he noticed Elizabeth was staring back at the house.

"Do you think she'll ever accept us being together?" She asked thinking of the Sunday dinners she wanted to have with Jason and her grandmother.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "It's been over five years and the Quartermaines still haven't accepted I'm not the son they knew."

She nodded and opened the passenger door. Before getting in, she gave the house she grew up in one more look.

"Do you want to go back and talk to her?" He asked.

"No," she said as she got into the truck. "We'd only start arguing again. I'll give her a few days to cool down and then I'll go see her. I'm sure she'll be willing to listen by then."

He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He hoped for her sake she was right. He didn't want Elizabeth to lose her only real family because of him. He may be okay without having the Quartermaines in his life but he was sure Elizabeth would not be if Audrey didn't come around. He started the truck and drove away wondering what he could do to fix the situation.


End file.
